A 

(= 

A 

w 

o 

0 

c 

^ 

0 

m 

3D 

0 
8 

7 

Z 
^ 

o 

2 

4 

ro 

3J 

2 

> 

9 

:> 

o 

8 

^ 

3 

n}.v^/-^    <Sii 


--^ 


--t-^ 


*^  T 


rk 


1  '-<'.: 


*^4r1 


■^  -^ 


0APT.  B.  J.  WlLbSfRD. 


Jc 


CAPT.    BENJAMIN     J.     WILLARD. 


CAPTAIN    BEN'S   BOOK 


A     RECORD    OF    THE    THINCiS    WHICH    HAPPKNED    TO 


Capt.  Benjamin  J.  Willard, 


PILOT   AND   STEVEDORE, 


DURING    SOMK    SIXTY    YEARS    OX    SKA    AND    LAND, 


AS   RELATED   BY    HIMSELF. 


PORTLAND,     MK.: 

Larej^ide  Press,  Engravers,   Printers,  a.\i>  Binders. 

1895. 

Jf 


Copyright,  1895,  isy  Capt.  B.  J.  Willard, 
Portland,  Maine. 


DEDICATION. 


'HpO    the  ship-masters,    merchants,    and    ship-brokers 
whose  patronage,  during  forty-one  years,  lias  made 
possible  the  employment  and  the  experience  recorded 
in  these  pages,   I   gratefull}^  dedicate  my  book. 

B.   J.    W'lIJ.AKl). 


PREFACE. 


T  HAVE  been  asked  many  times  to  tell  my  story, 
and  have  at  last  conclnded  to  do  so.  It  is  the 
"plain,  nnvarnished  tale"  of  a  man  who  has  passed 
his  life  on  and  along  the  stormy  Atlantic  coast,  some- 
time on  sea  and  sometime  on  shore,  and  who  has  met 
the  perils  incident  to  the  experience  of  a  sailor  and  a 
pilot.  Most  people  of  English  blood,  whether  inland 
bred  or  bronght  np  within  the  sonnd  of  the  waves, 
take  pleasnrc  in  talcs  of  the  sea,  however  homely 
they  may  be  told;  and  for  them  my  book  is  written. 
That  the}'  may  find  the  same  enjoyment  in  reading 
that  I  have  had  in  writing  it,  is  the  earnest  hope  of 

Benjamin  J.  Willard. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Cradled  in  a  Boat  —  Earliest  Recollections  —  Catching  the  First 
Shark  —  A  Mammoth  Cod  —  My  Trip  to  the  Georges  Bank 
and  How  I  Lost  My  Black  Stockings  —  The  Hampton  Boat 
and  the  White  Head  Boiling  Springs  —  Lobster  Catching 
Fifty  Years  Ago,         .  .  .  .  .  .  -15 

CHAPTER    H. 

The  Harbor  in  a  Fog — Old  Time  Hospitality  on  the  Cape — My 
First  Chew  of  Tobacco — An  Ancient  School- House — How 
Fishermen  Came  To  Use  Compasses — The  Harm  Done  to 
Hook  Fishing  by  Seines  and  Seals,     .  .  .  .  -23 

CHAPTER    HL 

The  Loss  of  the  Pleasure  Boat  "  Leo  "  in  Casco  Bay  —  Death  by 
Downing  of  a  Woman  and  Eight  Children  —  Living  on 
Cracker  Crumbs  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy  —  Whimsical  Advent- 
ure near  Biddeford  Pool — A  Perilous  Passage  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Portland,  .......     29 

CHAPTER    I\". 

In  Which  1  Become  a  Ship-Owner  —  The  Great  .\pril  (}ale  of 
185  I — Riding  It  Out  in  Little  Egg  Harbor — The  Race  from 
Philadelphia  to  Portland — Forsaking  Sea  for  Land  Service,     36 

CHAPTER    V. 

In  Which  I  Become  a  Stevedore  and  Subsequently  a  Pilot  — 
Taking  the  Allan  Steamships  into  Port — Piloting  a  Bonded 
Vessel,  and  the  "Prouble  It  Brought — How  I  Was  Unjustly 
Put  in  Jail,  and  My  Experiences  There  —  An  Appeal  for 
Long-Delayed  Justice — Some  Amusing  Experiences.  .  .      48 


lO  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

In  Which  a  Sword-Fish  is  Harpooned  —  It  Proves  a  Novelty  in 
Portland  —  How  I  Piloted  a  Disabled  Steamer  into  Port — 
The  Perilous  Experience  of  a  Pilot  —  Pulling  Drowning 
Men  out  of  the  Water  —  A  Famous  Camping-Out  Club — 
Hen  Hawks  for  Dinner — The  Father  of  the  Finnan  Haddie 
Industry  and  His  Skill  at  Quoits.        .  .  .  .  -57 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Portland  Harbor  in  War  Time  —  Much  Tangled  Red  Tape  — 
Rushing  Associated  Press  News  to  the  Shore  —  Perilous 
Experience  of  a  Coast  Pilot — The  Close  Shave  of  the  Anglo 
Saxon — Sudden  Death  of  my  Father,  .  .  .  -67 

CFIAPTER    VIII. 

Capture  of  the  "  Caleb  Cushing"  and  the  "  Archer  "  by  Confeder- 
ate Privateers — The  Bold  Attempt  in  Portland  Harbor — A 
Day  of  Excitement  in  the  City  —  Soldiers  and  Citizens  to 
the  Rescue — Blowing  up  of  the  "  Cushing  "  and  Recapture  of 
the  "  Archer  " — Confederate  Prisoners  in  Fort  Preble — How 
Daniel  Gould  Came  to  His  Death.      .  .  .  .  •      ",  4 

CHAPTER    IX. 

The  Confederate  Account  of  the  Capture  of  the  "  Caleb  Cushing  " 

—  Mr.  Hunt's  Vivacious  Story  —  How  the  Privateers  Stole 
into  the  Harbor,  Stole  Out,  and  Were  Caught  with  the 
Goods  in  Their  Possession  —  The  Fish  Chowder  on  Board 
the  "Archer,"  and  the  Humble  Pie  the  Privateers  After- 
wards Ate,  .........     82 

CHAPTER    X. 

The  Wreck  of  the  Bohemian  —  Scenes  and  Incidents  of  that 
Memorable  Disaster  —  How  the  IlKFated  Steamer  Went 
Ashore — A  Notable  Campaign  Orator  among  the  Survivors 

—  Fishing  Up  Cases  of  Goods  —  Mr.  Farmer,  Captain 
Sargent,  and  the  Cook  Stove — The  Diver  Who  Took  a  Nap 

at  the  Bottom  of  the  Sea,  ......     87 


TABLE    OF    COXTKXTS.  II 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Deep-Sea  Fishing — The  Nervous  Man  and  His  Gun — Captur- 
ing a  Dusky  Shark — The  Adventure  of  the  Scotchman  and 
the  Whale  —  My  Trained  Pets,  the  Coach  Dog  and  the 
Cedar  Bird,        .........     95 

CHAPTER    XU. 

A  Whale  in  the  Harbor  —  The  Seven-Ton  Blackfish — How  a 
Hayseed  Spoiled  His  Linen  Trowsers  —  Appearance  and 
Habits  of  the  Blackfish  —  A  Lively  Fight  with  a  Sword- 
Fish — The  Summer  of  1S67,       .  .  .  .  .  .110 

CHAPTER  XHI. 

In  Which  All  Manner  of  Fish  is  Sought,  from  Sea  Serpent  to 
Mackerel — A  Fight  Between  a  Sword-Fish  and  Two  Killers 
— St.  Elmo's  Fire  —  The  Race  Between  the  "Nettle"  and 
"  Sparkle  " — A  Famous  Trouting  Party  on  Mount  Desert — 
Concerning  Water-Spouts — Hunting  Eider  Ducks — Doctor 
Bowles  and  the  White-Tailed  Martin — The  Beginning  of  the 
Sword-Fish  Industry,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .118 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

A  Cruise  for  the  Sea  Serpent — Distinguished  Jurists  and  Clergy- 
men Hunting  the  Whale — Lots  of  Fun  but  No  Fish — A 
Colored  Cook  Who  Turned  Wliite  —  Collecting  Ship  News 
for  the  Daily  Paper.s — Rescue  of  a  (running  Party  on  Half 
Way  Rock — CJaptain  Senter  and  the  "Sparkle,"  .  .129 

CHAPTER    XV. 

The  Peabody  Obsequies — Arrival  of  the  "  Monarch  "  off  Portland 
and  Severe  Trip  of  the  Pilot  Boat  in  Search  of  Her.  The 
Impressive  Naval  Procession  up  the  Harbor.  —  Admiral 
Farragut  and  the  "Terror" — Another  Great  Naval  Pageant 
— The  Duke  of  Newcastle's  Hat,         .  .  .  .  .136 

(  HAPTER    XVI. 

1  Become  an  !n\entor  and  Patent  a  Life  Preserver  —  Another 
Fruitless  Search  for  the  Sea  Serpent  —  A  Funny  Fourth  of 


12  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

July  in  Portland — How  the  Hand-Organs  played  in  Lincoln 
Park — An  Earnest  Plea  for  Light-House  Improvement,       .   141 

CHAPTER    XVIL 

Days  When  a  Hogshead  of  Coal  Lasted  Portland  a  Whole  Season 
—  Mr.  Samuel  E.  Spring  and  the  Government  Sale  of 
Cigars — Gunning  on  Richmond  Island — Formation  of  the 
Willard  Shooting  Association — Pat  and  the  Loon,       .  -150 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

How  the  "Brooklyn"  Struck  on  Hog  Island  Ledge  —  Old  Nep- 
tune Visits  the  Pilot  Boat  "Maggie"  and  Shaves  the  Pas- 
sengers— Mr.  Strout's  Encounter  with  a  Sword-Fish — Some- 
thing About  Spanish  Mackerel,  .  .  .  .  -159 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

The  Schooner  "  B.  J.  Willard  "  and  Her  Fortunes — How  Steamers 
Have  Taken  the  Freights  from  Sailing  Vessels  —  The  Way 
in  Which  I  Celebrated  the  Portland  Centennial  —  About 
the  Water  Boat  "Fannie  G."  —  Sunfish  and  Their  Curious 
Formation,  .  .  .  .  .  .  •  •  .    i6g 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  First  Tow-Boat  in  Portland — Changed  Conditions  of  Ocean 
Traffic  — The  Blue  Shark  and  His  Pursuit  -Wild  Geese 
Shooting — A  Notable  Sword-Fish  Party — The  First  Prize  in 
Nine  Years  —  Last  Deep-Sea-Fishing  Trip  for  the    Season,   181 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Transit  Between  the  Cape  and  Portland  —  The  Famous  Ferry 
Fight  —  A  Stormy  Town-Meeting  —  The  Dinner  That  Cost 
Five  Hundred  Dollars  a  Plate — Cape  Elizabeth  Electrics — 
The  Island  Traffic  and  the  Casco  Bay  Steamboat  Company,    190 


Addendum, 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Capt.   Benjamin  J.  Willard  —  Frontispiece, 

The  Willard  Homestead,   1813, 

Minot's  Ledge  Light-House,    ..... 

British  Steamship  "Antelope,"  Capt.  John  Smith, 
SwoRD-FlSH,         ........ 

The  "Nettle"   in  a  High  Wind,    .... 

Capture  and  Blo\vin(;  up  of  the  "Caleb  Cushing," 
Capt.  John  Liscomp,,  ...... 

One  of  Spot's  Tricks,      ...... 

DusKv  Maneater  Shark.,  ..... 

Head  Trick,      ........ 

Captain  Wii-lard  and  His  Doc;  Spot,     . 

Captain  Willard  Battling  with  a  Whale,  . 

Dog  and  P>ird  Trick, 

Spot  Spelling  His  Name, 

Dog  and  Bird  Trick, 

Chair  Trick,     .... 

Blackfish,  .... 

St.   Elmo's   l'"iki;, 

Water-Spouts, 

Capt.  William    Sexier,     . 

Life-Preskrvkk, 

J.    N.    Martin,    President    of     iiii 

Association, 
Captain  Willard  as  Neptune, 
Pilot  Boat  "Ma(;gie,"  Capt.   Edwa 
The  Spanish  Mackerel,  . 
The  Schooner  "1!.  J.  Willard,'' 


WlLI.ARD     ShOOTIN( 


kii  L.  1'arsons, 


PAGE 

2 

17 

37 

50 

58 

65 

75 

77 

94 

96 

98 

100 

1 02 

104 

105 
107 

108 

1 1 1 

12  I 

1-5 
134 
142 

155 
160 
162 
167 
1 70 


14  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Steam  Water  Boat  "Fannie  G.,"'  Capt.  Daniel  Peter- 
son,  1883, 175 

SUNFISH,       .......•••  178 

Tow-BoAT  "Tiger,"  the  First  Tow-Boat  in  Portland,  182 

Capt.  B.  J.  Willard's  Cottage,  Peaks  Island,  1884,     .  185 

Capt.  B.  J.  Willard  Trap  Shooting,  June,   1895,  .  197 

A  Shoal  of  Porpoises, 199 

Oak  Tree  at  Horsmonden,      .         .  .  .         .         .  202 

Horsmonden     Church,    Where    Simon    Willard    Was 

Christened,  April  5,   1605, 205 


CHAPTER    I. 

CRADLKl)    IN     A     BOAT. EARLIEST     RECOLLEC  I'lONS. CATCHING     THE 

FIRST    SHARK. A    MAMMOTH    COD. MY    TRIP    TO    THE     GEORGES 

BANK    AND    HOW    I    LOST    MY    !jJ[^ACK    STOCKINGS. THE    HAMPTON 

BOAT      AND      THE      WHITE      HEAD      BOILINC;      SPRINGS. LOBSTER 

CATCHING     FIFTY     YEARS     A(;0. 

T   WAS   born   October  30,   1828,  at   Simonton's  Cove, 
Cape  Elizabeth,  Ale.,  cradled  in  a  fishing  boat,  and 
brought   up   to  be  a  fisherman;    so   that   m}'   earliest 
recollections  are  all  of  the  sea. 

My  first  fishing  trip  was  made  in  1836,  when  I  was 
not  cjuite  eight  years  old  ;  and  though  I  caught  but 
fort3'-seven  mackerel,  while  my  father  caught  between 
two  and  three  barrels,  my  catch  was  thought  a  big  one 
for  so  small  a  boy,  and  I  felt  very  proud  of  my  first 
success.  The  next  spring  my  father  bought  a  small 
fishing  schooner  with  a  pink  stern,  called  the  ''  Lively," 
which  he  kept  two  years,  at  times  going  to  Damarisco\e 
Island  Harbor,  Mackerel  Cove  in  Harpswell,  and  New 
Meadows  Ba}-;  though  Richmond's  Island  was  often 
visited,  it  being  the  best  place  to  set  nets  over  night  for 
bait.  White  Head  Ground  and  Drunken  Ledge  were 
noted  for  good  fishing,  particularly  cod,  when  the  dif- 
ferent schools  of  fish  migrated  northward 

The  "  Lively"  proving  too  small,  my  father,  in  the 
spring  of  1840,  bought  the  schooner  "  Martha  Washing- 
ton," a  large,  able  schooner  for  those  days.  She  also 
had  a  pink  stern  —  indeed  at  that  time  no  others  were 
to  be  seen.  I  was  then  about  twelve  years  old,  and  felt 
myself  a  big  bo}^,  though   not  above  a  little  fun  which 


1 6  CAPTAIN    BEN'.S    book. 

sometimes  led  me  into  scrapes.  One  day,  on  the 
sciiooner,  father  and  the  crew  turned  in  for  an  afternoon 
nap,  as  the}^  expected  to  be  fishing  for  hake  that  night, 
and  left  me  on  the  lookout.  Looking  for  fun  I  threw 
overboard  some  fish  livers  and  tolled  up  a  large  flock 
of  hag-dolls  ;  then  baited  a  mackerel  line  at  which  they 
bit  fast.  These  birds  bite  hard  and  fight  like  an  eagle. 
I  tossed  them  into  an  empty  barrel,  \vhere  they  fought 
fiercely  in  their  struggles  to  get  out.  Such  a  noise  I 
never  heard  before  or  since.  The  crew  were  wakened, 
and  soon  tumbled  on  deck,  unable  to  sleep.  At  my 
father's  orders  I  tossed  the  birds  overboard.  That  was 
my  last  attempt  to  catch  hag-dolls. 

My  First  Shark. —  One  night  while  I  was  doing 
boy's  duty  on  the  dog  watch,  from  6  to  8  in  the  even- 
ing, and  amusing  m^^self  by  catching  squid,  I  saw  a  big 
fish  swimming  round  which  soon  stole  m}-  bait.  The 
water  was  sparkling  with  phosphorus  and  I  could  see 
him  plainly;  so  I  baited  a  large  shark  hook  with  a 
haddock  and  dropped  it  overboard.  In  a  moment  he 
swallowed  it.  Wild  with  excitement  I  rushed  to  the 
forecastle  and  shouted,  "I  have  him." 

The  crew  tumbled  on  deck  to  see  what  I  did  have,  at 
once  saw  it  was  a  shark,  and  proceeded  to  haul  him  up, 
my  brother  William  standing  by  with  the  lance  read}^ 
to  kill  him.  To  the  surprise  of  all,  the  fish  rolled  the 
line  round  him,  so  that  he  came  up  tail  first  and  could 
not  be  lanced  for  fear  of  cutting  the  line.  He  would 
hit  hard  enough  blows  on  the  side  of  the  schooner  to 
shake  her,  and  in  his  struggles  hit  Eben  Willard  a  blow 
on  the  face  that  knocked  him  down.  Meanwhile  lay 
father  talked  strong  language  to  me,  and  forbade  my 
shark-fishing  in  future.  "  There's  no  sleeping  where 
that  boy  is,"  he  said. 


l8  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

But  after  a  time  the  shark  turned,  came  up  head 
first,  and  was  easil}^  killed  by  the  lance.  All  hands 
then  hoisted  the  monster  on  deck,  when  he  was  found 
to  be  fifteen  feet  in  length  and  with  jaws  large  enough 
to  swallow  a  man  wdiole.  When  the  liver  was  taken 
out  it  filled  a  barrel  and  a  half.  Then  father  felt  better, 
but  said  to  me,  "Ben,  don't  you  ever  put  that  hook  out 
for  shark  again."  I  was  always  good  to  mind,  and 
obeyed  orders ;  but  somehow  I  was  continually  getting 
into  mischief  before  I  knew  it,  though  I  never  fished  for 
shark  again  while  on  the  "  Martha  Washington." 

A  Mammoth  Cod. — Later  in  the  season  we  went 
on  to  the  fishing  ground  called  "  Mistaken  Ground,"  a 
good  place  for  fish  when  the  herring  come  on  the  coast. 
During  the  first  day  whales  came  and  herring  were 
schooling  thick.  You  could  see  whales  in  all  direc- 
tions. One  came  up  and  rubbed  so  hard  against  the 
schooner  as  to  careen  her  some.  The  monster  was 
longer  than  the  vessel.  Being  frightened  I  ran  to  the 
other  side,  when  my  father  told  me  to  pump  some  bilge 
water  out.  This  I  did,  and  the  whale  left  in  a  hurry, 
but  soon  came  up  in  the  midst  of  a  large  school  of 
herring,  swallowing  wdiat  must  have  been  four  or  five 
barrels  of  them.  But  he  was  a  good  w^hale  for  us,  for 
he  drove  as  man}-  more  barrels  into  our  nets,  giving 
us  plenty  of  bait  next  day  when  we  fell  in  with  numer- 
ous cod. 

Three  boats  left  the  schooner  next  morning  and 
returned  before  ten  o'clock  full  of  large  cod.  By  two  in 
the  afternoon  they  returned  with  three  more  loads,  my 
brother  William  stringing  his  painter  (the  line  that 
tows  the  boat)  with  big  fish.  After  dinner,  which,  being 
the  bo}',  I  had  to  get,  the  crew  dressed  and  split  the  cod 
for  salting  and  put  them  in  the  hold.    After  dinner  I  put 


A    MAMMOTH    COD.  19 

out  two  lines  in  fort\'-five  fathoms  of  water,  and  pres- 
ently felt  something  big  and  strong  pulling  at  one  of 
them.  It  struggled  nobly,  while  the  crew  looked  on 
laughingly  and  shouted,  "Tug,  away,  Bennie ;  you'll 
soon  get  him."  They  thought  I  was  fast  to  one  of 
those  deep  water  skates,  as  large  as  a  barn  door  and 
with  three  or  four  tails.  The  more  I  tugged  the  more 
they  made  fun  of  me.  But  I  could  say  nothing.  The 
boy  on  a  vessel,  as  is  well  known,  has  to  take  all 
manner  of  insults  and  still  keep  cool.  It  is  pretty 
hard  work  sometimes.  At  last  I  could  see  large  bub- 
bles of  air  and  two  big  cod-fish  on  my  line,  so  shouted 
to  the  crew  to  jump  for  their  gaffs.  Mr.  William  Jones, 
who  was  nearest  the  rail  splitting  fish,  looked  over  and 
sang  out  so  loud  that  all  the  crew  sprang  from  their 
work  to  the  side.  The  two  fish  were  soon  hauled  on 
deck.  It  was  estimated  that  the  biggest  one  was  good 
for  130  pounds,  and  it  proved  to  weigh  75  pounds  when 
dried.  It  was  said  to  be  the  largest  cod-fish  ever 
landed  on  House  Island,  and  the  spots  on  it  were  as 
big  as  silver  dollars.  I  think  Mr.  Alpha  Sterling  will 
remember  that  cod.  It  was  the  talk  for  many  a  day. 
In  those  days  halibut  were  plenty.  Saturday  was  the 
day  to  land  fish  at  House  Island.  My  father  under- 
stood the  mo\ements  of  the  fish  well,  and  every  week  he 
went  farther  east,  where  the  whales  and  herring  were 
schooling  the  thickest.  The  third  and  last  trip  was 
made  southeast  from  Monhegan  Island,  some  twent}^ 
miles  distant.  In  four  or  five  days  we  filled  the 
schooner  three  times.  Every  night  the  nets  would  fill 
with  herring.  After  this  three  or  four  weeks  were 
spent  in  cod-fishing.  Then  the  schooner  was  fitted 
and  painted,  to  fish  for  mackerel.  In  those  days  hook 
fishing  was  profitable,  and  good  wages  were  made  b}^ 
the  crews. 


20  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    BOOK. 

My  First  Trip  to  thp:  Banks. — In  1843,  or  about 
that  date,  when  I  was  fifteen  years  old,  father  saw  a 
Cape  Ann  schooner  come  into  Portland  from  Georges 
Bank  with  a  large  fare  of  halibut-  So  he  fitted  his 
schooner  out  for  a  trip  himself,  with  sails  and  rigging 
about  new,  plenty  of  hemp  cable,  and  an  ice-pen  hold- 
ing two  or  three  tons,  on  which  was  plenty  of  fresh 
bait.  He  took  a  supply  of  heavy  leads  to  use  in  strong 
tides.  Some  of  the  crew  felt  a  little  shaky,  as  bad 
reports  had  been  received  of  the  loss  of  fishing  vessels. 
However,  as  it  was  the  best  time  of  year  for  the  trip, 
they  concluded  to  make  the  venture.  It  took  nearly 
three  days  with  light  winds  to  reach  the  north  part  of 
the  Banks ;  and,  just  at  that  time,  the  wind  changed 
to  southeast,  blowing  a  strong  gale  that  lasted  all  one 
night ;  then  it  shifted  to  south  and  blew  harder  until 
it  died  out  and  a  thick  fog  came.  The  sea  was  run- 
ning mountains  high,  and  it  seemed  at  times  the  vessel 
would  roll  over.  I  was  seasick,  as  I  always  was  in 
rough  weather.  After  four  days  of  tliis  sort  of  thing 
the  sea  went  down,  and  I  felt  like  getting  on  deck. 

How  I  Lost  Mv  Black  Stockings. — When  I  got 
out  of  my  berth  Mr.  William  Jones  went  for  my  feet, 
roughly  hauled  my  stockings  off,  and  threw  them  over- 
board, getting  me  another  pair  in  their  place.  When 
I  asked  him  what  he  did  that  for,  he  solemnly  said  : 
"  Bennie,  don't  3^ou  ever  wear  black  stockings  on 
board  this  vessel  again.  We  have  had  all  this  bad  luck 
bj'  your  black  stockings."  This  incident  goes  to  show 
how  superstitious  sailors  are.  At  times  they  will  nail 
horseshoes  on  the  heel  of  the  bowsprit  to  keep  the 
witches  away  from  the  vessel. 

This  was  the  first  and  last  trip  to  Georges  Banks. 


WHEN   LOBSTKRS   WERE   PEEXTY.  21 

Tlie  schooner  was  then  headed  for  Jefferies  Bank, 
where  a  good  fare  was  got ;  and  then  back  home  ;  which 
all  hands  were  glad  enough  to  reach  alive  and  well, 
and  better  satisfied  for  the  future  to  stay  on  inner  fish- 
ing grounds,  where  harbor  could  be  made  when  lieav}- 
storms  came  on.     But  wasn't  I  seasick! 

When  LoBvSTERvS  Were  Plenty.  —  About  1844 
father  sold  the  "  Martha  Washington"  and  built  a  cheap 
house  for  summer  at  Alewive  Cove,  Cape  Elizabeth,  to 
live  in  while  he  carried  on  fishing  and  lobstcring.  In 
those  da3'S  lobsters  were  large  and  plenty,  and  a  sloop 
smack,  whose  captain's  name  was  Marston,  came  from 
Boston  for  them  regularly.  Cod-fish  were  also  plenty 
near  the  coves  and  points,  as  the}-  would  follow  the 
alewives  to  the  brook  leading  up  to  the  big  pond  on  the 
cape,  where  the}-  went  to  spaM'U.  Millions  went  there 
for  3^ears,  and  if  the  brook  were  opened  up  for  the 
alewives  now,  it  would  be  worth  thousands  of  dollars 
to  the  fishermen  of  Cape  Elizabeth. 

About  this  time  father  had  a  large  Hampton  boat 
built  for  me,  of  which  I  felt  very  proud  ;  for  she  was 
big  and  safe.  She  was  not  so  fast  as  some  of  my 
neighbors'  boats  ;  but  I  made  up  for  that  b}^  rising- 
early  and  reacliing  the  grounds  b}-  daylight.  There 
was  fine  fighting  to  get  the  best  berths  on  White  Head 
Ground  and  Drunken  Ledge,  as  there  seemed  to  be 
boiling  springs  at  the  bottom,  where  the  fish  went  for 
fresh  water.  At  a  short  distance  from  those  places  no 
fish  could  be  caught.  I  have  known  but  one  man,  in 
all  my  life,  who  could  see  for  long  distances,  and  make 
out  flags  on  ships,  as  I  could.  This  man  was  Mr. 
George  Leavitt,  of  W^illard,  Cape  Elizabeth.  He  is 
still  living,  and   with  e3'e-sight  as  good   as  ever  —  as 


22  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

indeed  mine  is,  for  that  matter.  When  Mr.  Leavitt 
and  I  were  on  those  grounds,  waiting  to  see  our  local 
marks,  we  would  both  get  them  at  the  same  moment, 
and  both  killicks  go  down  at  the  same  time.  It  was 
then  thought  mean  for  one  boat  to  anchor  close  to 
another  engaged  iu  catching  fish ;  but  if  the  two 
anchored  at  the  same  time  it  M^as  all  right.  For  bait 
we  used  clams  until  the  porgies  and  herring  came. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    HARIiOR    IX    A    FOO. OLD    TIME    HOSPITALI  lY    ON    THE     CAPE. 

MV    FIRST    CHEW    OF     TOBACCO. AN    ANCIENT    SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

HOW    FISHERMEN    CAME    TO    USE    COMPASSES. THE     HARM    DONE 

TO    HOOK    FISHINCi    V.Y    SEINES    AND    SEALS. 

TN  foggy  weather  it  is  an  easy  thing  to  lose  one's  way 
on  the  ^\■ater,  even  in  onr  sheltered  harbor.  The 
following  is  a  case  in  point :  One  day,  late  in  the 
afternoon,  as  I  was  coming  from  Green  Island  and 
making  for  Wliite  Head,  I  saw  a  pleasnre  boat,  filled 
with  men,  women,  and  children,  heading  out  to  sea. 
Knowing  they  mnst  have  lost  their  way  I  hailed  them, 
and  in  reply  was  told  the}-  were  going  to  Portland. 
Great  was  their  snrprise  when  told  that  they  had  mis- 
taken their  direction.  I  gave  them  a  line  and  towed 
them  to  port.  As  we  passed  the  Spindle,  their  aston- 
ishment was  boundless  at  discovering  that  the\-  had 
gone  out  by  White  Head,  when  they  thought  they  were 
making  good  way  to  Portland ;  and  in  their  gratitude, 
when  landed  at  Commercial  Wharf,  they  offered  to  pay 
me  anything  tliat  might  be  asked. 

In  those  days  many  boats  were  let  for  sailing  par- 
ties; and  I  have  often  wondered  that  drowning  acci- 
dents were  so  few,  as  many  of  the  excursionists  slaked 
their  thirst  with  something  stronger  than  water.  Most 
of  the  fishermen  would  "fill  up"  Saturday  and  Sunda\-, 
though  keeping  .sober  on  other  days,  when  at  their 
work.  There  were  exceptions  though.  One  day  Mr. 
Some  One  ran  ashore  on  Bangs  Island  ( now  called 
Cushing's)    after  imbibing  too  freely,  and  had  to   be 


24  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

hauled  off  by  the  fishermen  from  the  cove.  At  another 
time  another  Mr.  Somebody,  who  was  careful  not  to 
set  any  sail  when  in  drink,  but  trusted  to  his  oars, 
row^ed  ashore  at  ebb-tide,  where  he  remained  for  some 
time,  the  spectators  amusing  themselves  at  his  expense. 
But  I  do  not  now  remember  of  any  fatal  accidents  hap- 
pening to  men  in  drink. 

There  was  more  hospitalit}-  in  those  times  than 
now.  When  the  fishermen  went  to  Richmond's  Island, 
they  would  spend  the  night  in  the  barn  on  the  hay. 
Mr.  Jordan  was  always  good  to  them,  and  did  not  call 
them  tramps,  as  is  the  custom  nowadays.  The  Cape 
Elizabeth  fishermen  themselves  are  kind-hearted  and 
free-handed,  ready  to  divide  the  last  loaf  with  their 
neighbors  if  in  need.  Often,  when  a  boy,  I  have  heard 
my  parents  say  that  some  family  was  in  need.  As  soon 
as  the  news  was  noised  about,  the  neighbors  would  go 
there  with  their  arms  full,  and  the  next  day  a  load  of 
wood  would  be  dropped  at  the  door.  No  one  had  heard 
of  "pound  parties"  then,  to  wdiich  each  one  carries  a 
pound  of  something,  and  all  stay  half  the  night  and 
eat  the  whole  up. 

My  First  Chew  of  Tobacco.  —  My  first,  and 
last,  cud  of  tobacco  was  chewed  while  going  to  school. 
Washington  Loveitt,  Isaac  Cobb,  and  myself  mustered 
two  cents  apiece  and  bought  a  plug  of  pigtail  twist.  It 
was  divided  fairly,  and  we  stowed  a  quid  in  our  cheeks. 
All  went  merrily  while  we  were  in  the  open  air,  and 
we  thought  we  were  men  indeed;  but  somehow  the 
school-house  seemed  uncommonly  warm.  I  began  to 
sweat  freely,  and  on  looking  at  Cobb  found  he  was  get- 
ting white,  while  his  hair  was  steaming.  Pretty  soon 
he  asked  leave  to  go  and  get  a  drink  of  water.  About 
the  time   he   got  back   to  his    seat  I   began   to  think  a 


AN    OLD-TIM p:    SCHOOL-HOUSE.  25 

little  water  would  be  good  for  me.  Before  I  got 
through,  IvOveitt  started  for  the  water  pail,  and  Cobb 
asked  to  go  out.  I  followed  with  Loveitt  at  my  heels. 
Three  sicker  boys  were  never  seen.  We  were  absent 
so  long  that  IMr.  Enos  Dyer,  the  school-master,  sus- 
pected something  and  started  in  search  of  us.  He  at 
once  saw  the  trouble,  advised  us  never  to  chew  again 
(advice  wdiich  I  have  followed  to  this  da}^,  and  told 
us  to  go  home.  This  we  were  glad  to  do,  but  our  hats 
were  in  the  school-house.  As  Loveitt  had  the  best 
legs,  he  brought  our  hats  out;  still,  we  could  not  walk 
without  staggering,  and  so  crawled  on  our  hands  and 
knees  over  the  stone-wall,  where  we  la\'  until  school 
was  out  and  the  children  gone.  Then  I  went  home 
and  stole  to  bed  without  my  supper.  There  mv  mother 
found  me,  sick,  as  she  supposed,  with  a  headache,  and 
and  bound  my  head  up  with  burdock  leaves  steeped  in 
vinegar.  I  have  never  taken  a  piece  of  tobacco  into 
ni}^  mouth  from  that  day  to  this.  Of  my  companions, 
Mr.  Loveitt  is  still  living  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  and  Mr. 
Cobb  is  gone. 

An  Old-Tim e  School-House. — Sixty  years  ago 
school-houses  were  far  different  from  those  we  build 
now.  The  one  in  our  district,  where  I  attended,  was 
situated  below  the  Danforth  Hill,  near  the  brook,  on 
the  shore  road  to  Portland  Light,  a  mile  or  more  from 
Simonton's  Cove.  It  was  but  one  storv,  low-studded, 
narrow,  and  long  like  a  ten-pin  alley,  and  set  end  to  the 
road.  The  long  wood  stove  would  take  in  uncut  cord 
wood,  and  the  funnel  ran  the  whole  length  of  the  l)uild- 
ing  it  was  supposed  to  heat ;  but  in  northeast  snow- 
storms the  snow  would  blow  in  round  the  windows,  and 
those  of  us  lucky  enough  to  have  overcoats  were  glad 
to  use  them,  so  bitter  was  the  cold.      We   had   a  verv 


26  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

nice  book  to  take  the  place  of  grammar,  a  Robert  B. 
Thomas  Almanac.  This  we  studied  every  night  before 
going  to  bed,  to  see  if  the  tide  was  fair  at  one  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  so  that  we  could  row  to  the  fishing 
grounds.  The  master  gave  us  Saturday-  afternoons  for 
pla}^,  but  that  did  not  suit  the  big  bo3'S,  so  they  would 
fill  the  funnel  Saturday  morning  with  juniper  bushes 
and  smoke  ever^'body  out.  The  result  would  be  the 
adjournment  of  school  until  IMonday,  so  that  the  funnel 
might  be  cleaned  out.  Then  the  big  boys  would  start 
for  the  rabbit  swamp  and  spend  the  rest  of  the  day 
hunting. 

How  Fishermen  Came  To  Use  the  Compass. — 
At  that  time  no  compasses  were  used  by  the  fishermen. 
They  all  went  to  any  shoal  they  wished,  steering  b}^ 
the  sea.  In  thick  fog  a  swell  would  roll  in  from  the 
ocean,  and  the  lead  was  used  when  near  the  shoal. 
Compasses  Avere  not  employed  till  some  of  the  boats 
got  lost  in  a  snow-storm  coming  home  from  White 
Head  Grounds,  being  misled  by  the  changing  off  wind 
and  no  land  in  sight.  ( You  cannot  run  b}^  the  sea  in 
a  snow-storm ;  as  the  wind  changes  you  will  steer  by 
that).  One  or  two  of  the  boats  made  Stratton  Island, 
and  some  Richmond  Island,  but  all  got  into  good  har- 
bors before  night  fell,  where  they  remained  until  the 
storm  was  over.  Meanwhile  much  anxiety  was  felt  at 
home  for  their  safet}',  and  thereafter  they  were  per- 
suaded to  take  compasses. 

About  1846  I  took  Mr.  James  Cobb  into  compau}-. 
In  earl}^  spring  we  went  in  the  large  boat,  but  later  on 
used  both.  Cobb  was  smart  and  prompt,  and  the 
quickest  man  to  wake  from  sound  sleep  I  ever  knew. 
If  you  spoke  to  him  in  a  moderate  tone  of  voice,  ten 
feet  away,  he  would  spring  up  at  once.     The   second 


SElNEvS   AND   SEALvS.  27 

year  we  were  together  we  heard,  about  the  last  of  June, 
that  mackerel  were  plenty-  off  Cape  Ann  and  coming 
east  in  large  schools;  so  I  fitted  the  large  boat  and 
started  to  meet  them  off  Boon  Island,  knowing  that  I 
could  put  into  Portsmouth  or  old  York  for  harbor,  in 
case  of  a  storm.  ^Ir.  Cobb  took  the  small  boat  to  fish 
on  Cod  Ledge;  we  both  had  good  luck,  and  came  back 
to  Portland  loaded  with  cod  and  mackerel,  for  which 
we  got  a  fair  price,  clearing  about  forty  dollars  apiece 
— which  came  in  \er3'  handy,  for  the  Fourth  of  July 
M'as  close  at  hand,  My  mackerel  usually  went  to  Mr. 
John  IvOyeitt,  for  he  always  did  the  right  thing  b\'  the 
fishermen. 

Seinf:s  and  Seal.s. — In  those  days  all  the  boats 
made  money  fast,  but  after  a  time  so  many  were 
brought  in  that  prices  went  down.  Now  a  mackerel  is 
rarely  caught  with  the  hook.  What  with  seining  on 
the  outside  and  seals  on  the  inside,  where  mackerel 
used  to  go  and  spawn,  and  where  boats  in  August  and 
September  could  catch  from  fifty  to  three  hundred 
pounds  anywhere  in  Casco  Bay,  real  old-fashioned  fish- 
ing is  about  ruined ;  but  driye  the  seals  out  of  the  bay 
and  the  mackerel  will  come  again.  The  seals  are  now 
so  numerous  that  they  go  to  sea  for  food.  I  haye  seen 
them  ten  miles  out  in  summer,  the  ledges  fairly  swarm- 
ing with  them,  basking  in  the  sun. 

As  for  seining,  the  porgy  steamers  with  their  seines 
have  driyen  the  fish  off  the  coast.  The  last  time  the 
porgies  came  back  they  had  been  absent  twelve  years. 
When  they  are  on  the  coast  and  in  the  bays,  fish  of  all 
kinds  come  into  the  shoal  water,  and  the  fishermen  by 
setting  nets  get  all  the  bait  they  want.  If  all  seining 
were  to  be  stopped  for  a  reasonable  time,  so  as  to  give 
the  fish  a  chance  to  breed  and  not  frighten  them  awa}', 


28  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

the  shore  fishermen  could  once  again  get  a  good  living 
by  hook  fishing.     But  they  never  can  till  then. 

I  think  1848  was  the  best  year  I  ever  saw  for  the 
fishermen  in  boats.  At  the  Hue  and  Cry  Shoal  Mr. 
Cobb  and  myself  got  from  daylight  to  noon  something 
over  1,400  pounds  of  mackerel.  All  the  other  boats 
did  as  well,  and  some  of  them  better.  We  often  saw 
fifteen  or  twenty  boats  in  one  string.  The  mackerel 
came  along  shore  in  large  schools,  and  were  found  in 
Casco  Bay,  Harpswell  Bay,  New  Meadows,  and  around 
shoals  everywhere.  I  have  seen  great  schools  inside  of 
Bangs  Island.  Now  the  seining,  south  in  the  spring, 
has  driven  the  large  body  of  them  outside  of  Nantucket 
Shoals  to  the  northern  part  of  the  Gulf  Stream  and  to 
Nova  Scotia  waters.  Had  the  seine  never  been  used, 
our  coast  would  be  good  to-day  for  hook  fishing,  and 
far  better  for  all  classes  of  fishermen. 

Trawl  fishing,  too,  has  hurt  cod  trade;  for  it 
catches  up  the  mother  fish  that  rarely  bites  at  hand 
lines.  When  I  was  j^oung  the  bank  fishermen  would 
come  home  Avith  flags  flying  and  a  full  cargo,  and  fill 
the  flakes  at  House  Island.  I  have  rowed  man}'  mer- 
chants to  this  island  to  buy  fish.  To-day  the  flakes 
are  down  and  the  island  looks  desolate. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  LOSS    (JF  THE    PLEASURE  BOAT  "  LEO  "   IN  CASCO  BAY. DEATH     BY 

DROWNING     OF     A     WOMAN    AND     EIGHT    CHILDREN. LIVING     ON 

CRACKER    CRU-MBS    IN    THE    BAY  OF    FUNDY. WHIMSICAL  ADVENT- 
URE     NEAR      BIDDEFORD      POOL. A      PERILOUS      PASSAGE      FROM 

PHILADELPHIA    TO    PORTLAND. 

'HpHE  sad  accident  to  the  pleasure  boat  "Leo,"  near 
Hog  Island  Ledge,  by  which  nine  lives  were  lost,  is 
not  yet  forgotten  b}^  the  older  people  of  Portland.  It 
was  on  the  2 2d  of  Jul}-,  1848,  that  I  passed  the  boat  as 
she  was  going  down  the  harbor,  and  noted  that  she 
had  two  sails  up,  while  one  was  all  a  careful  man  would 
like  to  carry ;  but  took  no  further  thought,  having 
seen  many  pleasure  boats  loaded  with  passengers  in 
the  hands  of  men  unaccustomed  to  handle  them  in  a 
strong  wind.  The  wind  was  then  blowing  hard  from 
the  southwest. 

When  the  pleasure  boat  "F'avorite"  came  home  in 
the  evening  she  reported  seeing  a  boat  suddenly  dis- 
appear near  Hog  Island  Ledge.  This  aroused  anxiety 
for  the  "  Leo,"  and  Mr.  Edward  Harlow,  her  owner, 
started  for  the  ledge.  When  near  it  he  heard  a  man 
crying  for  help,  and  soon  found  Mr.  William  Smith 
clinging  to  the  mast-head  of  the  sunken  boat  and 
nearly  dead  from  exhaustion.  This  was  at  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  niglit.  It  secerned  that  the  "Leo"  upset 
about  eight  o'clock.  All  the  passengers  except  Mr. 
Smith,  including  his  wife  and  four  children  and  the 
four  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Why  lev,  were 
drowned.     The  man   in   charge   of  the  boat,  a   sailor. 


30  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

named  Stephenson,  swam  to  the  ledge,  from  which  he 
was  taken  off  by  the  rescuing  party.  W^hen  the  news 
of  the  accident  spread,  all  the  fishermen  of  the  vicinity 
turned  out  with  hooks  and  grapples  to  recover  the 
bodies ;  but  the  eel-grass  was  long  and  got  tangled  in 
the  hooks,  so  that  three  of  the  children,  one  belonging 
to  the  Whyley  family,  were  never  found.  The  bod}- 
of  Mrs.  Smith  was  found  floating  several  days  later, 
and  I  grappled  that  of  her  son,  a  boy  about  six  years 
old.  When  the  "Leo"  was  raised  (her  mast  was  some 
four  feet  out  of  water,  at  low  tide)  it  was  seen  that  the 
fore  sheet  had  been  made  fast  —  a  fact  showing  bad 
management. 

I  Become  IMy  Own  Man.  — In  the  fall  of  1848, 
when  I  was  twenty  years  old,  my  father  kindl}^  gave 
me  one  vear,  and  much  to  my  pleasure  I  became  my 
own  man. 

The  summer  of  1849  was  good  for  fishing  at 
Simonton's  Cove,  and  ]\Ir.  Cobb  and  myself  made  it  a 
profitable  season.  The  next  summer  I  shipped  as 
mate  with  my  brother,  E.  G.  Willard,  in  the  schooner 
"Jerome,"  a  vessel  of  106  tons  register  and  capable  of 
carrj'ing  150  tons  of  coal;  this  being  about  the  usual 
size  of  coasters  at  that  date.  While  mate  of  this  vessel 
I  saw  some  hard  service;  particularly  on  a  vo3'age  to 
the  Ba}'  of  Fundy,  where  I  passed  gloomy-  hours  on  an 
uninhabited  island  with  nothing  to  eat  but  cracker 
crumbs,  and  mighty  few  of  them,  ^^'e  were  from  Port- 
land, bound  for  Calais,  and,  though  the  morning  was 
fine  at  the  hour  of  sailing,  the  schooner  ran  into  a  fog 
before  we  had  gone  far  —  fog  Avhich  lasted  two  days 
without  any  signs  of  lifting.  On  the  afternoon  of  the 
second  da}-  we  struck  shoal  Avater  and  let  go  the  anchor. 
As  we  thought  we  could  hear  the  surf  a  short  distance 


I    BECO:\rE    MY    OWN    MAN.  3 1 

to  the  north,  the  yawl  boat  was  lowered  and  my  brother 
and  I  jumped  into  her,  leaying  ]\Ir.  John  F.  Loveitt 
and  Talbert,  the  cook,  on  board.  We  put  off  into  the 
thick  fog,  but  could  find  nothing.  'Before  long  the  tide 
and  wind  changed  against  us,  darkness  came  on,  and 
in  spite  of  all  our  efforts  we  steadily  drifted  away  from 
the  ship.  For  a  time  we  could  hear  the  horn,  and 
after  that  a  gun.  (Subsequently  we  learned  that 
Loyeitt  kept  on  firing  the  gun  until  his  powder  gaye 
out. )  x\fter  rowing  fiye  or  six  hours  we  had  to  giye  it 
up  and  drift  whereyer  the  strong  wind  and  tide  would 
carry  us.  It  was  a  long  and  dark  night,  and  as  we 
had  no  oil  clothes  or  extra  coats  we  suffered  seyerely 
from  the  cold  and  wet. 

About  daylight  we  heard  the  surf  beating  on  the 
rocks,  and  let  the  lead  go  down,  but  found  no  bottom. 
Presently  we  saw  the  breakers  and  both  braced  up  to 
keep  the  boat  clear  of  them.  As  it  grew  lighter  we 
saw  a  small  island  with  high  banks  and  heayih' 
wooded.  There  we  landed,  shiyering  with  cold  and 
wet  to  the  skin.  Though  we  stayed  ashore  a  long 
time,  no  signs  of  life  could  be  seen.  After  a  time  we 
caught  a  glimpse  of  a  larger  island,  and  setting  off  for 
that,  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  an  English  pilot  boat 
laying  there.  Going  on  board,  we  were  heartily  wel- 
comed l)y  the  crew,  who  gathered  about,  eager  to  hear 
our  story.  The  first  thing  they  offered  us  was  rum, 
which,  as  neither  of  us  had  eyer  tasted  liquor,  we  de- 
clined—  to  their  utter  amazement.  They  had  run 
short  of  pro\isi(Uis,  but  managed  to  get  some  coffee 
and  food  for  us,  which  we  devoured  eagerh'.  It  was 
little  enough,  but  nearly  all  they  had,  though  rum  was 
plenty. 

Our  anxiety   for  the  "Jerome"   was  so  great  that 


32  CAPTAIN    BEN  S    BOOK. 

as  soon  as  we  ^vere  warmed  and  a  bit  rested  we  engaged 
a  pilot  to  set  out  in  search  of  her.  He  thought  she 
must  be  anchored  at  Seal  Island  Rips,  and  that  the 
sound  we  took  for  the  surf  was  the  high  tide  on  the 
rips;  so  he  started  for  there,  but  was  baffled  b}^  the 
heavy  winds  and  came  back  to  his  starting  point. 
Then  my  brother  and  I  took  the  3^awl  boat  and  went 
ashore  to  find  something  to  eat.  All  we  found  was  an 
empty  building  fastened  up  tightl}^,  and  in  order  to 
enter  it  we  had  to  unscrew  the  hinges  from  the  door. 
Nothing  was  there  but  a  few  hard  bread  crumbs  in  the 
bottom  of  a  barrel.  These  tasted  sweet  and  good,  but 
went  only  a  little  way  toward  satisf^-ing  our  hunger. 
We  replaced  the  hinges,  and  would  have  left  mone}-  for 
food  had  we  found  anj^hing  to  eat. 

Pulling  back  to  the  ship  we  passed  the  night  there, 
but  could  not  sleep  much  as  our  minds  were  on  the 
"Jerome"  and  the  two  men  left  alone  with  her.  We 
well  knew  that  she  could  not  ride  long  in  that  high 
wind  and  sea ;  so  the  next  morning  the  pilot  boat  got 
under  way  and  started  on  her  search.  As  nothing 
could  be  seen  of  the  missing  vessel  I  asked  to  be  landed 
at  Eastport,  where  we  might  get  news  of  her.  So  we 
made  for  that  harbor,  and  to  our  great  joy  came  across 
the  "Jerome"  making  for  the  same  shelter.  Their 
relief  was  as  great  as  ours,  for  they  had  almost  given 
us  up  for  lost.  It  seems  that  the  schooner  went  adrift; 
but  the\'  were  fortunate  enough  to  reach  the  lee  of 
Libby  Island,  where  the}^  anchored  until  the  wind 
abated.  After  paying  the  pilot  and  stocking  him  up 
with  provisions,  the  first  thing  my  brother  and  I  did 
was  to  make  for  the  cabin  double  quick  and  eat  a  good 
dinner,  the  first  we  had  had  for  two  days.  Food  never 
tasted  so  good  to  me  before. 


WRKCKKD    IX    SACO    RIVER.  33 

It  seems  that  the  next  day  after  my  brother  and  I 
left  the  "Jerome"  at  anchor  at  Seal  Island  Rips  she 
struck  a  drift  in  a  high  wind  and  fog.  IMr.  Loveitt 
and  the  cook  reefed  the  sails,  set  them,  and  slipped  the 
chain ;  loosing  the  small  anchor  and  chain  and  steering 
northwest  until  they  made  breakers.  They  tacked  off, 
then  tacked  back.  In  tacking  back  the  schooner  had 
gone  to  the  leeward,  with  the  strong  tide,  enough  to 
come  under  the  lee  of  Libb}-  Island  into  smooth  water, 
where  she  anchored  with  the  big  anchor.  The  next  day 
the  wind  was  west  and  the  fog  clearing.  Loveitt  saw 
three  fishermen  lobstering,  put  his  flag  in  the  rigging, 
called  them  aboard,  and  made  a  trade  with  them  to  pilot 
and  help  get  the  vessel  to  Eastport.  \\liile  on  the  wa}- 
we  boarded  her  with  the  pilot  boat.  The  fishermen 
were  paid  in  monev,  and  the  pilot  in  ship  stores.  Then 
the  pilot  took  the  fishermen  back  home.  Our  yawl 
boat  was  hoisted  up  and  the  vessel  kept  off  for  Calais, 
where  we  loaded  a  cargo  of  laths  for  Philadelphia. 
Before  we  finally  got  out  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy  the  fog 
shut  in  again  and  followed  us  to  Cape  Cod.  The 
passage  out  was  good,  as  we  had  favorable  winds  to 
the  Capes  of  Delaware.  We  all  felt  good  to  get  away 
from  Fund}'  alive.  I  have  not  been  there  since,  and 
have  no  desire  to  go  again ;  getting  all  I  wanted  and 
more  than  I  bargained  for  that  time. 

Wrecked  in  Saco  Ri\er.  —  From  Philadelphia 
we  took  a  cargo  of  coal  to  Saco,  Maine,  and  on  arriv- 
ing at  Biddeford  Pool  Captain  Tappeu  was  engaged  as 
pilot.  Going  up  the  Saco  River  the  schooner  ran 
ashore  in  the  mud ;  and  a  ])leasure  steamboat  called 
"The  Belle"  was  employed  to  pull  her  off  and  tow  her 
up  to  town.  While  discharging  cargo,  the  "Belle" 
advertised  to  give  a  moonlight  sail  down  the  river  and 


34  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

a  dance  at  the  ferry.  Mr.  Loveitt  and  I  invited  some 
lady  friends  to  go.  On  the  return,  about  midnight, 
we  met  with  a  ludicrous  adventure.  The  boat  ran  on 
to  a  little  island  in  the  darkness  near  the  Narrows,  and 
stove  a  hole  in  the  bottom.  As  she  began  to  fill  fast, 
the  fires  were  drawn,  the  steam  blown  out,  and  the 
gangway  plank  run  out  towards  the  island.  We  men 
had  to  take  the  lady  passengers  ashore  in  our  arms 
through  three  feet  of  water.  A  lame  man  on  board 
offered  Mr.  Loveitt  and  me  five  dollars  to  "tote"  him 
to  land,  and  we  promised  to  do  it  for  nothing  as  soon 
as  the  ladies  were  looked  out  for;  but  he  would  not 
wait,  and  was  soon  on  the  shoulders  of  two  other  men, 
one  of  whom  slipped  and  dumped  him  into  the  stream. 
Just  as  all  had  got  ashore  safely,  some  dories  came  up 
and  were  sent  to  town  for  transportation.  IMeanwhile, 
we  made  a  fire  on  the  island,  and  passed  the  time 
pleasantly  until  the  boats  could  carry  us  across  the 
river  to  the  Saco  side,  where  teams  were  in  readiness 
to  take  us  to  town,  which  we  reached  about  sunrise. 
Saco  River  was  certainly  the  last  place  in  which  I  ever 
expected  to  be  wrecked. 

A  PeriloUvS  November  Passage. — The  roughest 
passage  I  ever  had  while  mate  of  the  "Jerome"  was 
from  Philadelphia  to  Portland,  with  a  cargo  of  coal,  in 
November,  1850.  We  had  favorable  winds  until  off 
Chatham  Light,  when  threatening  weather  set  in  and 
lasted  until  we  reached  port.  The  wind  got  round  to  the 
east  and  made  a  heavy  sea  fast.  As  it  began  to  blow 
more  heavily  we  shortened  sail,  keeping  just  enough 
canvas  spread  to  get  by  the  high  land  of  Cape  Cod. 
After  passing  Peaked  Hill  Bar  the  schooner  was  hove 
to  under  three-reefed  mainsail  for  a  dead  drift  into  Bos- 
ton Bay.     Before  morning  the  sea  boarded  her,  stove 


A    PERILOUS    NOVEMBER    PASvSAGE.  35 

the  galley  doors  down,  and  washed  everything  out  but 
the  stove.  The  gale  lasted  until  nine  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon,  and  a  few  hours  after  we  struck  a  snow- 
squall  and  were  obliged  to  throw  our  deck  load  of  coal 
overboard  to  lighten  the  vessel.  The  sea  ran  high 
and  came  tumbling  on  deck,  and  some  of  the  waist- 
boards  had  to  be  knocked  off  to  let  the  water  out 
quickl3\ 

M3'  brother  carried  sail  as  long  as  it  could  be 
done  safel}^,  but  finally  had  to  heave  to.  It  began  to 
look  like  a  close  shave,  and  I  lashed  some  kegs  for 
life  preservers  in  case  we  were  driven  ashore.  I  kept 
sounding  with  a  deep-sea  line,  and  about  midnight 
found  bottom.  At  this  moment  my  hands  grew  so 
numb  that  I  lost  the  line.  A  new  one  was  hastil}'  im- 
provised by  unreefing  the  pennant  halyards  from  the 
main  topmast,  and  the  next  sounding  showed  no 
shoaler  water.  Then  we  all  began  to  feel  a  little 
easier.  When  daylight  came  the  snow  cleared  awa^^, 
and  we  ran  up  under  the  lee  of  Chatham,  and  anchored 
with  our  big  anchor  weighing  over  a  tliousand  pounds. 
There  we  la\'  for  two  days,  as  a  big  sea  was  rolling 
round  the  cape. 

When  the  wind  changed  to  the  west  and  the  sea 
went  down  we  headed  for  Portland,  having  favorable 
winds  and  fair  weather  until  we  got  about  half-wav 
between  Cape  Cod  and  Cape  Elizabeth.  Then  another 
snow-squall  struck  us,  and  we  had  a  succession  of  them 
the  rest  of  the  voyage,  until  near  Cape  Elizabeth  lights. 
Then  the  squalls  ceased  and  wc  made  Portland.  When 
we  arrived  there  our  decks  looked  as  if  they  had  been 
holy-stoned  with  sand  for  a  week. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IN    WHICH    I    BECOME    A    SHIP-OWNER. — -THE    GREAT    APRIL    GALE    OF 

185  I. RIDING     IT    OUT     IN    LITTLE     EGG     HARBOR. THE     RACE 

FROM    PHILADELPHIA    TO    PORTLAND. FORSAKING  SEA    FOR    LAND 

SERVICE. 

TN  the  winter  of  1851  I  bought  a  quarter  interest  in 
the  "Jerome,"  and  took  charge  of  her,  having  very 
good  luck  in  making  quick  trips  between  Portland  and 
Philadelphia ;  nor  did  m}^  good  fortune  desert  me  in  the 
great  April  gale  of  that  year,  when  so  man}-  vessels 
were  lost  and  lives  sacrificed.  Sailing  from  Philadel- 
phia for  New  York,  on  the  i8th  of  that  month,  I  had  a 
quick  run  to  ten  miles  north  of  Barnegat  Light.  Four 
hours  more  would  have  carried  me  to  Sandy  Hook; 
but  the  wind  sprang  up  from  the  northeast,  the  weather 
thickened,  and  there  was  every  indication  of  a  strong 
gale;  so  I  ran  back  off  Little  Egg  Harbor.  Some- 
thing told  me  to  put  in  there,  though  all  I  had  to  go 
by  was  courses  from  buo3'S,  jotted  down  on  a  piece  of 
paper  and  given  to  me  by  a  New  Jersey  captain. 

I  ran  for  the  first  buoy,  but  before  getting  to  it 
saw  two  men  in  a  boat  beckoning  for  me  to  luff.  I  did 
so,  and  presently  the  boat  pulled  alongside.  The  men 
proved  to  be  pilots  who  told  me  that  the  way  I  was 
taking  would  carry  the  vessel  on  to  a  nine-feet  shoal. 
On  quoting  the  New  Jersey  captain's  directions,  they 
said  that  would  be  all  right  in  ordinary  times,  but  the 
ice  had  changed  the  buoy  some  distance  to  the  south- 
west, and  the  government  had  not  had  time  to  move  it 
back. 


IINOT'S    LEDGE    LIGHT-HOUSE. 


38  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

We  lay  at  Little  Egg  Harbor  for  three  days,  wait- 
ing for  tlie  heavy  swell  to  go  down ;  for  the  gale  was 
long  and  terrific  and  the  tide,  the  highest  known  for 
years,  covering  the  low  lands  inside  the  sea  banks  for 
many  miles.  While  there  I  feasted  on  excellent  cod- 
fish, which  they  kept  alive  as  the  Maine  smacks  do 
lobsters  in  their  wells.  The  rest  of  the  voyage  was 
uneventful,  though  we  passed  man}'  wrecks;  and,  on 
arriving  in  New  York,  the  first  thing  I  saw  in  the 
newspapers  .was  an  account  of  that  memorable  and 
destructive  storm  which  washed  down  Minot's  Ledge 
Light-house,  drowned  the  keepers,  and  spread  devasta- 
tion all  along  that  part  of  the  coast.  I  am  satisfied 
that  if  I  had  not  run  into  Little  Egg  Harbor  I  should 
have  been  lost,  for  my  vessel  could  not  live  fifteen 
hours  in  that  gale — though  what  impulse  drove  me  to 
my  determination  I  cannot  tell  to  this  day.  Minot's 
Ledge  Light-house  ( of  which  an  excellent  illustration 
is  given  on  page  37  )  was  on  a  rock  about  twenty  miles 
from  Boston,  built  of  solid  iron  piles,  sixty  feet  high 
and  ten  inches  in  diameter.  The  fury  of  a  gale  suffi- 
cient to  overthrow  it  can  scarcely  be  imagined. 

The  most  of  ni}^  coal  freights  from  Philadelphia  to 
Portland  were  consigned  to  Messrs.  Charles  and  Abel 
Baker,  who  kept  a  coal  yard  on  Richardson's  Wharf. 
They  were  both  honest  gentlemen  to  deal  with.  I 
made  man}-  quick  trips,  arriving  ahead  of  the  bill  of 
lading  on  one  of  them.  On  receiving  the  bill  Mr.  Abel 
Baker  at  once  went  to  an  insurance  officer  and  paid 
$40  for  insuring  the  cargo.  Great  was  his  astonish- 
ment on  returning  to  find  me  sitting  in  his  office  and 
my  vessel  hauling  up  to  his  coal  shed.  At  that  time 
freights  in  winter  and  spring  were  $3.00  to  $3.50  a 
ton,  and  in  summer  about  $1.50  to  $1.75. 


A    RACE    UP    THE    NORTH    COAvST.  39 

A  Race  Up  the  North  Coast.  —  In  185 1  my 
brother,  E.  G.  Willard,  built  a  centreboard  schooner  in 
Philadelphia,  which  carried  about  240  tons  of  coal. 
She  was  so  large  it  was  ver}^  difficult  to  get  a  full 
cargo  unless  we  took  two  or  three  different  sizes  of 
coal.  When  his  vessel  was  nearl}-  ready  to  be  launched 
she  was  named  the  "  E.  G.  Willard,"  and  I  took  his 
sails,  rigging,  and  fittings  out  there  in  the  "Jerome" 
on  my  next  trip.  She  was  rigged  and  already  to  go 
up  river  to  Bristol,  twenty  miles  above  Philadelphia, 
to  load  coal  for  Portland,  for  three  round  trips  and  a 
half.      It  was  sharp  racing. 

I  will  cite  the  first  passage  from  Bristol  to  Port- 
land. Both  vessels  loaded  at  one  time,  shoved  off  from 
the  coal  docks  about  6  P.  M.,  calm  and  first  ebb-tide. 
We  drifted  down  river  all  that  tide,  and  anchored  for 
the  next  ebb-tide.  The  next  dav  the  wind  was  south- 
west, both  vessels  beating  down  river  with  the  tide,  and 
both  keeping  near  together  until  we  got  down  to 
Chester.  Then  he  put  his  centreboard  down  and 
gained  away  from  me  fast,  and  when  I  got  down  to 
Reedy  Island  he  was  nearly  hull  dowu.  At  that  time 
we  took  a  fearful  squall  from  the  northwest  with  thuu- 
dcr,  lightning,  and  rain.  I  ran  under  short  sail  down 
to  Bomby  Hook  and  anchored.  As  the  night  was 
\ery  dark  and  the  wind  blowing  hard,  I  did  not  tliiiik 
it  safe  to  run  down  the  bay.  At  that  time  I  thought 
E.  G.  was  far  enough  ahead  to  make  Cross  Ledge  light 
ship  and  keep  on  going  down  the  bav.  At  two  next 
morning  the  anchor  was  hove  up  and  we  started  down 
the  ba}'.  At  daylight  in  the  morning  I  was  within  a 
mile  of  E.  G.  He  was  getting  under  way,  having 
anchored  there,  as  it  was  thick  weather  and  shoal 
water.     When  half-way  down  the  bay  he  ran  for  Cape 


40  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

May.  My  vessel  drawing  twelve  feet,  I  had  to  run 
down  the  ship  channel  and  out  round  the  over  falls. 
When  out  there  he  was  hull  down  ahead.  The  next 
day  the  wind  changed  from  northwest  to  south.  When 
back  of  Long  Island  the  fog  shut  in,  and  there  was 
about  a  six  or  seven  knot  breeze.  I  shaped  my  course 
for  Gay  Head.  The  next  morning  between  three  and 
four  I  hove  to  to  wait  for  daylight.  When  morning 
came  we  squared  away  for  Vineyard  Sound,  the  fog 
still  holding  thick,  and  our  horn  blowing  at  short 
intervals.  We  could  hear  other  horns  in  most  any 
direction,  but  could  see  no  vessels.  When  getting 
near  the  Vineyard  both  anchors  were  got  in  readiness ; 
one  man  was  sent  to  the  foremast  head  to  look  over  the 
fog,  if  possible,  and  see  land,  one  man  set  to  heaving 
the  lead  on  the  starboard  quarter.  By  letting  out  fif- 
teen or  twenty  fathoms  of  line  the  sheets  were  hauled 
aft,  so  as  to  luff  quick  if  needed.  After  we  run  our 
time  up  in  about  twent}'  or  thirty  minutes,  the  lookout 
forward  reported  breakers  on  the  port  bow.  I  luffed 
quick.  On  luffing  I  could  see,  under  the  main  boom, 
breakers  a  hundred  yards  off.  At  that  time  there  were 
by  the  lead  line  eight  to  nine  fathoms.  The  next 
sounding  there  was  no  bottom  at  fifteen  to  twenty 
fathoms.  The  vessel  was  kept  off  on  her  course  again, 
and  run  sometime,  when  breakers  were  sighted  again 
on  her  port  bow.  I  luffed  some  and  run  parallel  with 
the  breakers.  Shortly  the  fog  lifted  a  little,  and  I  saw 
the  timbers  of  an  old  wreck  that  I  had  seen  several 
times  before,  and  I  knew  them.  It  was  a  short  dis- 
tance southerly  of  Quick's  Hole. 

Then  I  shaped  my  course  for  the  middle  ground, 
got  soundings,  and  sheered  off  and  on,  until  we  got  up 
to  West   Chop.     With   about  a   four   knot   breeze   and 


A    RACE    UP    THE    NORTH    COAST.  4 1 

wind  south  southwest  we  went  up  to  West  Chop,  made 
Spar  Buoy,  and  run  down  the  sound  the  usual  course. 
The  fog  was  very  thick.  When  some  three  or  four 
miles  to  the  eastward  of  East  Chop  the  wind  died  out, 
there  was  a  head  tide,  and  we  anchored.  I  went  below 
to  get  some  rest,  leaving  orders  to  call  me  when  there 
was  wind  enough  to  stem  tide.  When  I  had  been 
below  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  a  half  I  was  called.  I 
came  on  deck  and  got  under  wa\^,  heading  down  the 
sound,  with  all  the  light  sails  put  on.  The  fog  was 
very  thick  and  wet,  with  about  three  knot  breeze,  the 
fog-horn  still  blowing  at  short  intervals.  After  a  long 
time  running  the  lookout  reported  a  light  right  ahead. 
I  hove  the  wheel  hard  up  at  once.  As  the  vessel 
swung  off  quickly  I  saw  the  light  between  the  foremast 
and  fore  rigging,  and  when  the  light  got  by  the  fore 
rigging,  I  steadied  the  wheel.  As  we  were  getting 
close  upon  the  light,  it  proved  to  be  the  light  ship  with 
no  bell  ringing. 

We  cleared  the  light  ship  side  from  about  eight  to 
ten  feet.  I  sang  out  to  him  in  strong  language,  and 
asked  him  why  he  did  not  ring  his  bell.  His  answer 
was:  "\Miat  are  you  running  such  a  night  as  this  is 
for?  " 

I  told  liim  there  were  fifty  vessels  astern  of  me 
and  I  <>uess  he  thouc^ht  so,  for  I  heard  tlie  l)cll  rinorinir 
until  I  got  by  Sandy  Point.  It  being  too  thick  to  run 
for  Pollock  Rip  light  ship,  I  ran  out  vShip  Channel, 
around  the  great  round  shoal.  When  in  deep  water 
off  the  shoals  the  gaff  topsails  were  clued  uj),  the  main 
peak  dipped  and  jibed  over  and  hoisted  up,  and  the 
gaff  topsail  set,  running  the  course  up  the  back  side  of 
Cape  Cod  for  Portland.  When  up  between  Chatham 
and  Nosset,  we  run  out  of  the  fog,  and  a  fresh,  warm 


42  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

breeze  came  off  from  the  sand  hills,  and,  behold,  there 
was  the  "E.  G."  about  a  mile  ahead.  I  run  up  my 
burgee  and  in  a  short  time  he  run  up  his  in  answer. 

When  passing  Nosset  Light  we  shaped  course  for 
Cape  Elizabeth.  When  some  fifteen  miles  north  of 
Cape  Cod,  it  commenced  a  southerly  gale  with  rain, 
and  all  the  light  sails  had  to  be  taken  in;  single  reef 
in  the  mainsail,  the  foresail  jib,  and  flying  jib.  As  it 
would  be  dark  before  I  could  get  to  Cape  Elizabeth  by 
running  a  straight  course,  I  hauled  to  some  to  make 
the  land  to  the  westward  of  W^ood  Island  before  dark. 
I  could  see  at  that  time  about  a  half-mile  before  mak- 
ing the  land.  I  could  see  a  fishing  schooner  ahead  and 
hove  to,  heading  off  shore  under  reef  foresail.  I  kept 
off  some  to  speak  him,  and  when  near  him  I  was  about 
to  ask  him  how  W^ood  Island  bore;  but  before  I  could 
speak  he  asked  me  how  Portland  Eight  bore.  I  told 
him  how  I  judged  Cape  Elizabeth  to  bear,  and  I  asked 
him  if  he  had  seen  land.  By  this  time  we  were  too  far 
by  to  hear  him ;  but  he  pointed  his  hand  in  shore  as 
though  he  had  seen  land.  After  passing  him  he  kept 
off  to  follow  us.  We  were  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  at 
the  time  as  we  thought  we  were  nearing  the  shore, 
and  one  man  was  placed  to  the  mainpeak  halyards, 
ready  to  dip  peak  for  wearing.  In  a  short  time  surf 
was  seen  on  shore.  We  at  once  wore  around  with  main 
peak  hoisted  up,  and  kept  on  running  parallel  with  the 
surf.  We  could  see  at  the  time  about  half  a  mile  dis- 
tant, and  when  opposite  Wood  Island  Light  they  were 
just  lighting  it.  The  fishing  schooner  was  on  the 
starboard  quarter.  As  I  saw  he  was  going  to  follow  I 
hung  a  lantern  on  the  starboard  davit  and  run  for  the 
back  side  of  Richmond  Island.  The  flying  jib  was 
hauled  down  and  furled.     We  run  on  that  course  until 


A    RACE    UP    THE    NORTH    COAvST.  43 

breakers  were  seen  on  the  port  bow.  The  helm  was 
put  hard  down  at  once.  When  the  vessel  came  to,  to 
be  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  the  vessel  shipped  a  great 
deal  of  water  amidships.  All  hands  were  on  the  main 
sheet  hauling  in  to  keep  it  from  slatting  in  the  wind. 
The  water  soon  ran  off  from  the  deck.  The  breakers 
that  I  saw  we  supposed  to  be  Adam's  Head  on  the  back 
side  of  Richmond  Island.  I  let  her  jog  off  shore  easy 
until  I  could  steer  a  straight  course  for  the  back  side 
of  Cape  Elizabeth  and  clear  Watts  Ledge.  When  I 
luffed  from  Adam's  Head  the  fishing  schooner  came 
near  running  into  mine.  In  a  few  minutes  I  kept  off 
for  the  back  side  of  Cape  Elizabeth. 

The  mate  advised  me  to  haul  off  shore  for  the 
night.  I  told  him  I  was  going  to  Portland,  that  there 
was  bold  water  near  the  Cape;  I  had  caught  cunners 
off  from  every  foot  of  it,  and  it  was  safe  to  go  within 
a  schooner's  length  of  the  shore.  I  ran  until  I  thought 
we  ought  to  see  something.  I  began  to  think  we  were 
running  too  wide  off  to  see  shore  or  lights ;  but  in  a 
few  minutes  the  look(nit  reported  breakers  broad  off 
the  port  bow.  I  luffed  a  couple  of  points  and  run  b}- 
the  breakers.  When  opposite  the  Cape  lights  I  could 
just  see  them  through  the  mist  and  fog.  I  run  until  I 
judged  I  was  by  Broad  Cove  Rock  and  Trund\\s  Reef 
Shoal. 

Then  I  jibed  over,  to  run  for  Portland  Head.  The 
wind  dying  away  some,  the  fog  and  mist  seemed  to  be 
thicker.  As  I  neared  up  to  Portland  Head  I  could 
hear  the  rote  on  shore  to  the  south  of  it.  I  kept  off 
some  and  the  lookout  reported  a  light  right  ahead. 
I  kept  off  at  once  and  found  it  to  be  Portland  Head 
Light,  and  passed  in  by  very  near  the  Point. 

Then  all   sail   was  put  on.      When  inside  of  Ship 


44  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Cove  we  run  out  of  the  fog.  It  was  all  clear  in  the 
harbor  and  I  could  see  coasters'  lights  anchored  in 
Hog  Island  Roads.  Then  the  fisherman  put  all  sail 
on  and  passed  me  very  quickly,  thanking  me,  and  said 
it  was  well  done.  When  I  was  inside  Spring  Point 
Buoy  the  wind  died  out,  a  head  tide  set  in,  and  I 
anchored.  I  lowered  the  boat  and  took  two  men  and 
rowed  to  Commercial  Wharf.  Then  I  started  for  the 
:)i7'gUS  office.  I  found  my  way  up  the  back  stairs 
where  the  boys  were  setting  type,  and  reported  the 
arrival  of  the  schooner  "Jerome,"  Willard,  from  Phila- 
delphia. In  the  morning  the  papers  had  "  E.  G. 
Willard,"  Willard,  and  "Jerome,"  Willard,  from  Phila- 
delphia, reported  for  three  round  trips  and  a  half. 
Both  vessels  were  reported  the  same  day  arriving  and 
clearing  at  Philadelphia  and  Portland. 

The  next  day,  on  seeing  E.  G.,  I  found  he  made, 
in  coming  into  the  Vineyard,  Nymshebite,  north  of  Gay 
Head;  he  sounding  up  on  the  north  of  Vineyard  Island 
and  keeping  on  sounding  until  he  got  up  to  the  middle 
ground;  sounding,  off  and  on,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
middle  ground  up  to  West  Chop.  When  some  distance 
below  East  Chop  he  anchored  for  some  two  hours. 
When  it  breezed  up  he  got  under  way,  running  out 
over  the  shoals  in  Ship  Channel.  When  off  Nosset,  it 
being  clear  weather,  he  run  straight  for  Cape  Eliza- 
beth. When  nearing  the  Cape  the  first  thing  sighted 
was  Alden's  Rock  Buoy,  close  to  the  bow,  just  giving 
him  time  to  keep  off  to  clear  the  shoals.  When  up  to 
Portland  Eight  they  were  just  lighting  it. 

At  that  time  the  schooner  "Jerome"  was  at  Wood 
Island  Light.  That  shows  the  difference  of  sailing  in 
one  day. 

How  I    Left   the   Coasting   Trade.  —  In   the 


vSOMK    OF    MY    COAvSTiNG    TRIPS.  45 

summer  of  1853  I  was  taken  sick  with  fever  and  ague, 
and  I  got  Capt.  Thomas  Bibber  to  handle  the  schooner 
for  one  or  two  trips.  While  he  was  running  her  I 
suddenly  made  up  my  mind  one  night  that  I  would  trj- 
and  get  ni}^  living  ashore  hereafter;  so  as  soon  as  able 
I  called  on  Jones  and  Hammond,  my  owners,  stated 
ni3'  business,  and  said  that  I  wanted  to  sell  them  my 
interest  in  the  "Jerome."  They  wanted  me  to  recon- 
sider the  matter,  and  offered  to  build  me  a  larger  vessel 
if  I  wanted  it.  But  I  told  them  my  mind  was  made  up 
for  a  change.  Then  they  said  that  wdien  I  sold  they 
wished  me  to  sell  their  interest  also;  so  on  the  next 
arrival  of  the  schooner  at  Portland  she  was  sold  to 
Captain  Potter,  a  colored  man. 

My     QlTICKRvST     AND     SLOWEST     CoASTING     TrIPS. 

— Before  leaving  the  account  of  my  coasting  trips,  it 
may  interest  my  readers  to  learn  about  the  speediest 
and  the  slowest  made  while  master  of  the  "Jerome." 

The  quickest  trip  was  from  Philadelphia  and 
return  inside  of  ten  days,  with  cargo  each  way. 

The  longest  was  twenty-eight  daj'S  and  return. 
January  12,  1853,  at  4  p.  M.,  I  was  towed  down  Port- 
land Harbor  by  the  steam  tug  "Tiger,"  the  wind  being 
northeast  and  a  snow-storm  coming  on.  Mr.  George 
Dow  was  deck-hand  on  the  "Tiger"  at  the  time. 
Thinking  that  it  would  be  a  long  storm  I  ran  south- 
east instead  of  south  for  Cape  Cod,  so  as  to  be  to  the 
windward  if  necessar}-  to  go  out  the  South  Channel. 
The  next  morning  at  daylight  a  high  sea  broke  into 
the  jib,  and  tore  it  out  of  the  bolt  rope.  \\'e  ran  under 
short  sail  the  whole  day,  and  at  night  hove  to  in  South 
Channel,  the  sea  running  too  high  to  scud.  In  the 
morning,  about  seven,  we  parted  both  bobsta3-s  and 
came  near  losing  our  masts  over  the  stern. 


46  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

We  immediately  got  a  stay  from  the  mainmast 
head  to  the  windlass,  hoisted  the  two-reef  foresail,  kept 
off  for  scndding,  and  furled  the  three-reef  mainsail.  Mr. 
Bishop  Fuller,  of  Portland,  was  mate  with'  me.  He 
put  a  rope  around  his  body,  and,  attended  by  the  crew, 
fished  up  the  bobstays  to  put  on  tackles,  which  M^as  a 
very  dangerous  and  risky  job.  He  was  wet  to  the 
skin.  We  kept  on  scudding  until  well  by  South  Shoal. 
Then  we  hauled  up  for  Long  Island,  hoping  to  get 
near  it  before  the  wind  changed  to  the  northwest.  The 
gale  and  snow  lasted  for  forty-eight  hours,  and  wrecked 
several  vessels  on  Cape  Cod,  and  along  the  Jersey 
shore  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Barnegat. 

When  we  got  within  thirty  miles  of  Long  Island 
the  wind  came  off  northwest  with  snow-squalls  and 
blowing  a  heavy  gale.  We  furled  head  sails  and  hove 
to  under  three-reef  mainsail  for  a  dead  drift.  The 
schooner  was  making  good  weather  and  was  perfectly 
tight.  The  wake  to  the  windward  broke  the  heavy 
combers  before  they  got  to  the  vessel,  and  we  only  got 
light  water  from  them. 

We  drifted  in  this  gale  almost  six  days  before  it 
abated.  Then  we  had  baffling  winds  for  two  or  three 
days,  with  vapor.  By  this  time  we  were  a  long  dis- 
tance out  in  the  Gulf  Stream.  Then  we  had  one  calm 
day  with  the  sun  out  bright,  this  being  the  only  day 
for  twenty-two  that  we  got  a  sight  of  the  sun.  All 
this  bad  weather  we  had  to  cook  in  the  cabin  over  a 
cylinder  stove,  and  sit  on  the  cabin  floor  to  eat  our 
meals.  Then  we  took  a  southeast  gale  and  rain  storm ; 
and  I  made  good  use  of  it  by  scudding  for  Cape  May 
under  two-reef  foresail. 

We  arrived  in  Philadelphia  after  twenty-two  days 
out  from  Portland ;    discharged  the  cargo  in  one  day, 


SOME    OP^    MY    COASTING    TRIPS.  47 

and  the  sail-maker  made  me  a  new  jib  by  working 
night  and  day,  so  that  I  got  my  load  the  next  forenoon 
and  my  new  jib  in  the  afternoon,  and  bent  it  going 
down  by  Red  Bank  in  a  northeast  snow-storm.  At 
dark  we  came  to  anchor  ofif  from  Chester.  The  next 
morning  the  weather  was  clear  and  the  wind  north, 
giving  us  fair  wind  down  the  river  and  bay.  Then  the 
wind  came  west  and  gave  us  fair  wind  all  the  wa^- 
home  in  four  da3\s. 

On  arriving  home  I  found  that  my  folks  had  given 
me  up  as  lost,  as  all  the  papers  contained  accounts  of 
bad  wrecks  and  big  loss  of  life  along  the  entire  coast; 
and  they  reminded  me  that  my  brother  Samuel,  who 
sailed  for  Cuba  in  the  new  bark  "Martha  Anna,"  Jan- 
uarv  12,  1852,  at  4  p.m. — just  one  ^^-ear  to  a  day  and 
hour  before  I  set  sail — was  never  heard  from.  This 
coincidence  aroused  their  fears  for  my  safety. 

If  I  had  run  for  Cape  Cod  the  first  night  I  should 
have  been  on  a  lee  shore,  as  the  wind  canted  out  east 
the  next  day.  Being  to  the  windward  I  could  go  out 
of  the  channel  with  all  safety,  as  I  was  al^out  twenty- 
five  miles  from  Cape  Cod  and  Nantucket  Shoals.  I 
am  satisfied  if  I  had  run  for  Cape  Cod  the  first  night 
I  should  have  been  among  the  wrecks  reported  that 
memorable  week. 


CHAPTER  V. 

IN    WHICH    I    BECOME     A    STEVEDORE    AND    SUBSEQUENTLY     A    PILOT. 

TAKING      THE      ALLAN      STEAMSHIPS      INTO      PORT. PILOTING      A 

BONDED    VESSEL,    AND    THE    TROUBLE    IT     BROUGHT. HOW    I    WAS 

UNJUSTLY     PUT     IN     JAIL,     AND      MY     EXPERIENCES     THERE. AN 

APPEAL    FOR     LONG-DELAYED    JUSTICE. SOME    AMUSING     EXPERI- 
ENCES. 

TT  P'TER  leaving  the  coasting  trade  I  went  into 
conipanj'  with  William  L-owry  in  the  stevedoring 
business,  our  first  outfit  being  two  horses  with  coal 
tubs,  etc.  We  worked  one  horse  on  a  double  whip, 
taking  out  from  loo  to  125  tons  of  coal  a  day.  The 
j-earl}^  total  that  came  to  Portland  was  11,000  tons. 
After  two  years  the  firm  dissolved  and  I  went  into 
business  for  m^^self.  At  that  time  sugar  and  molasses 
were  hoisted  out  with  the  old-fashioned  winch.  Two 
or  three  years  later  oxen  were  used,  and  then  horses ; 
my  span  being  the  first  used  for  Chase  &  Sloan,  the 
riggers.  In  those  days  riggers  took  out  all  cargoes  of 
sugar  and  molasses.  In  1856  I  took  Mr.  Daniel  Gould 
into  compan\\  We  had  a  steam  engine  made  in  East 
Boston,  set  on  wheels  to  haul  around  to  the  wharves 
and  hoist  coal  and  molasses.  Gould  attended  to  the 
shore  business,  and  I  started  to  piloting  ships. 

I  Become  a  Pilot.  —  My  first  Avinter  of  piloting 
was  in  a  pleasure  boat,  with  a  cuddy  forward  and  no 
deck  aft,  owned  by  Capt.  Charles  Harford,  whose  ser- 
vices I  hired  for  the  winter.  He  was  brought  up  a 
Newfoundland  sealer,  and  could  stand  more  cold 
weather  than  any  man  I  ever  knew.     The  Allan  steam- 


I    BECOME    A    PILOT.  49 

ships,  "North  American,"  "Anglo  Saxon,"  and  "In- 
dian," ran  fortnightly  that  winter  between  Liverpool 
and  Portland  direct.  I  saw  some  rough  weather  and 
hard  work  during  the  season,  and  had  ni}-  first,  and 
last,  experience  in  being  hauled  on  board  a  steamship 
with  the  bowline.  As  I  bumped  against  the  sides  the 
breath  was  nearly  knocked  out  of  my  body.  When  I 
was  hauled  on  board  the  steamship  "North  American" 
the  ship  rolled  down  and  ducked  me  twice  in  the  cold 
water  before  Chief  Officer  Eaton  had  men  enough  on 
the  rope  to  haul  me  up.  Finally  two  men  mounted 
the  rail  to  light  up  while  the  men  on  deck  took  in  the 
slack.  I  shouted,  "Are  you  going  to  keep  me  here 
all  day?"  Since  then  I  have  preferred  some  other  way 
to  reach  a  ship's  deck.  It  was  not  until  the  winter 
piloting  was  over,  and  the  boat  on  the  beach,  that  I 
discovered  a  big  seam  about  three  feet  long  in  her 
bottom,  with  only  tarred  canvas  and  sheet  lead  tacked 
over  it.  Aly  hair  stood  on  end.  If  I  had  known  the 
condition  she  was  in,  I  would  not  have  ventured  outside 
of  Portland  Light  in  her. 

While  out  for  one  of  these  ships,  the  wind  nortli- 
west,  a  gale,  and  cold,  I  stood  out  by  Wliitc  Head  near 
night  to  see  if  there  was  any  signal  on  the  Observa- 
tor}'.  I  was  under  very  short  sail  so  as  to  go  slow  and 
not  ice  up.  Shortly  I  saw  a  row  boat  coming  towards 
me.  When  near  I  saw  Capt.  Smith  Hadlock,  of  Peaks 
Island.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  out  there  in  the  cold 
for,  and  he  said,  "What  are  you  out  here  for?"  I  told 
him  I  was  out  there  to  see  if  there  was  any  signal  out 
on  the  ()bservat()r\-,  as  I  was  looking  for  a  stcamsliip. 
He  told  me  why  he  came  was  that  he  thought  my  l)()at 
was  in  a  crippled  condition  and  came  to  render  his 
assistance  if  needed. 


u 


u 


ll*M 


i 


:\IY    TROUBLK    WITH    A    BONDED    STEAMSHIP.  5 1 

AIv  Trouble  With  a  Bonded  Steamship. — In 
the  summer  of  1857  I  bought  a  schooner  yacht  named 
"The  Alida,"  and  fitted  her  for  a  pilot  boat.  Late  in 
the  summer  of  that  \-car  the  British  steamship,  "Ante- 
lope," came  to  this  port  from  Liverpool.  Capt.  David 
Jones  came  passenger,  and  piloted  the  ship  into  port, 
and  when  she  went  to  sea  I  piloted  her  out.  She  came 
to  Portland  on  a  second  trip  and  I  piloted  her  in.  She 
discharged  and  took  in  cargo.  Before  she  left  port  a 
party  of  people  from  the  Second  Parish  Church  were 
invited  to  a  dinner  on  board  by  the  captain,  who  always 
appeared  to  be  a  very  religious  man.  He  told  me  that 
he  wanted  to  go  into  the  stream  that  afternoon  as  he 
had  a  permit  from  the  United  States  Marshal.  About 
five  o'clock  it  was  high  water  and  I  took  her  into  the 
stream.  The  ship  was  attached  on  a  former  vovage 
for  a  coal  debt  of  $1,000.  ^Ir.  John  H.  Cox,  Jr.,  was 
ship  keeper  at  the  time.  Captain  Smith  told  me  that 
he  expected  his  agent  would  bond  her. 

After  the  tea-table  was  cleared,  decanters  and  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  liquors  were  brought  on.  I  was  invited 
to  partake,  but  declined.  The  evening  was  spent  wait- 
ing for  orders,  1)ut  no  l)oat  came.  I  told  the  captain  I 
would  retire  as  I  had  been  broken  of  my  rest  the  night 
before.  He  told  the  waiters  to  show  me  a  room.  On 
leaving  the  saloon  I  left  Captain  Smith,  Mr.  Cox,  and 
several  passengers  there.  About  two  o'clock  the  next 
morning  the  captain  roused  me  and  said,  "  A  boat  has 
been  off,  the  ship  is  bonded,  and  you  can  take  her  to 
sea  when  you  see  fit."  I  was  soon  on  the  pilot  bridge, 
and  in  two  hours  we  were  steaming  out  of  the  harbor. 
When  near  Portland  Light  I  gave  the  captain  a  card 
marked,  "S.  E.  by  S.  ten  miles  distance  from  Portland 
Head."     This  course  I  gave  all  captains  on  going  out 


52  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    BOOK. 

of  the  harbor.  The  captain  then  asked  me  where  I 
would  leave  the  ship.  I  told  him  a  short  distance  out- 
side Portland  Light.  He  asked  me  then  if  my  boat 
was  big  enough  to  take  the  keeper  ashore.  I  told  him 
it  was,  and  he  said  if  it  was  not  he  would  lower  a  boat 
and  set  him  ashore  at  Portland  Head.  Not  seeing  Mr. 
Cox  since  the  night  before,  I  supposed  he  went  ashore 
when  the  boat  came  off.  I  asked  the  captain  where 
the  keeper  was,  and  he  said  he  was  below  asleep.  I 
said,  "Have  him  called  at  once,  for  I  shall  leave  in  a 
few  minutes."  When  ]\Ir.  Cox  came  on  the  bridge  he 
asked  me  how  it  Avas  that  the  ship  was  going  out.  I 
told  him  what  the  captain  said  when  he  came  to  my 
state-room.  He  then  asked  me  where  the  captain  was 
and  I  said,  "There  he  is  on  the  forward  part  of  the 
house" 

Mr.  Cox  went  to  talk  with  him.  \Miile  they  were 
in  conversation  I  rang  the  bell  to  stop  the  engine. 
The  ship  then  was  on  her  course.  I  left  the  bridge 
and  went  to  the  ship  gangwa}^  to  see  to  the  lowering 
of  m}^  boat,  and  dropped  astern  to  the  ship  ladder  for 
leaving.  I  was  in  the  boat  some  minutes  before  Mr. 
Cox  came.  While  I  was  rowing  him  home,  he  said  he 
could  not  see  into  it;  that  when  he  went  on  board  his 
orders  from  Mr.  Qiiimb}'  were  to  stay  there  until  he 
had  written  or  verbal  orders  that  the  ship  was  clear. 

He  thought  it  was  all  right  until  he  got  home ; 
but  after  seeing  Mr.  Quimby  he  found  it  was  all  wrong. 
I,  as  pilot,  was  indicted  for  aiding  and  abetting  Captain 
Smith  in  taking  the  ship  to  sea,  and  put  under  bonds 
to  appear  at  the  June  term  of  1858.  Mr.  Edward  Fox 
was  ni}^  counsel.  When  the  case  came  up  for  trial  Mr. 
Fox  said  the  case  could  be  settled  for  i'>400.  I  told 
him  that  I  took  the  ship  out  in  good  faith,  and  would 
not  pay  one  dollar. 


I    AM    SENTENCED    TO   JAIL.  53 

I  Am  Sentenced  to  Jail. — When  Mr.  Cox  was 
ou  the  stand  in  court,  he  stated  that  he  repeatedly  for- 
bade Captain  Willard  to  pilot  the  ship  to  sea.  I  sa}^ 
that  statement  was  false.  How  could  he  repeatedh' 
forbid  Captain  Willard  piloting  the  ship  to  sea,  when 
he  was  in  his  state-room  asleep  until  called  to  leave 
the  ship  with  the  pilot? 

My  sentence  by  Judge  Ware  was  sixt}-  days  in  the 
county  jail  and  i^20  fine,  imposed  June  12,  1858.  Mr. 
Adams,  now  in  the  firm  of  Rollins  &  Adams,  was  jail 
keeper  at  the  time.  When  the  officer  took  me  to  his 
office,  he  said  he  would  put  me  in  the  debtor  cell,  the 
best  room  in  jail,  with  some  four  or  live  men  who  were 
in  there  for  debt.  At  this  time  Cox  and  Williams  were 
in  jail  for  murdering  all  the  crew  of  the  brig  "Albion 
Cooper."  After  being  in  jail  two  or  three  days  Mr. 
Quiniby  came  to  Mr.  Adams  and  told  him  that  if 
Captain  Willard  wanted  the  lil^erty  of  the  yard  he 
could  have  it;  at  the  same  time  saying  that  tlic  mer- 
chants were  making  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  the  case. 
Mr.  Adams  came  to  my  cell  and  told  me  that  if  I 
wished  to  have  the  liberty  of  the  yard  I  could  have  it. 
I  thanked  him,  and  said  that  I  did  not  wish  to  have 
any  more  libertv  than  those  in  the  cell  with  me.  The 
food  was  good,  and  plenty  of  it,  but  I  had  no  use  for 
it  as  my  friends  brought  me  enough  for  those  in  the 
cell  with  me.  One  da\-  Capt.  Thomas  Lil)l)y,  on  arriv- 
ing from  Cuba,  on  his  way  home  from  his  Ijrig  brought 
to  my  cell  a  market  basket  full  of  oranges,  pine-apples, 
and  a  box  of  cigars.  When  in  jail  about  seven  days, 
Mr.  Henry  (loddard  called  to  talk  with  me  through 
the  iron  grates,  and  said  to  me  that  he  had  called  on 
Mr.  Onimbv  to  know  what  he  was  going  to  do  with 
Captain   Willard   when   they    moved   the  prisoners,  as 


54  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

the  old  jail  was  about  to  be  torn  down.  Qiiimby  said, 
"Auburn  with  the  other  United  States  prisoners." 
Mr.  Goddard  replied  that  it  lay  with  him  to  say 
whether  Willard  should  go  out  to  the  work-house  or 
to  Auburn.  If  to  the  work-house  his  friends  could  go 
to  see  him,  but  if  Quimby  had  fulh^  made  up  his  mind 
to  send  Willard  to  Auburn  with  Cox  and  Williams,  the 
murderers,  he  could  get  a  new  bondsman  before  the 
sun  went  down  that  night.  After  some  sharp  talk 
Mr.  Quimby  decided  that  Willard  could  go  to  the 
work-house,  and  he  then  left  his  office  and  went  to  my 
cell  to  inform  me  of  the  fact. 

Seven  Weeks  in  the  Work -House.  —  After 
spending  ten  days  in  the  old  jail,  the  county  prisoners 
were  transferred  to  the  work-house.  Cox  and  Williams, 
the  murderers,  being  sent  to  Auburn.  Mr.  Adams  told 
me  I  could  step  into  the  3'ard  uutil  he  got  the  prisoners 
off",  and  he  would  take  me  out  in  his  wagon.  The  pris- 
oners were  all  moved  in  hacks.  As  Cox  and  Williams 
got  into  one  they  seemed  to  me  the  roughest  looking 
men  that  I  ever  saAv.  On  arriving  at  the  work-house 
I  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Richard  Webster,  the  keeper, 
who  told  me  to  take  a  seat  in  the  office  and  when  he 
had  fixed  the  prisoners  he  would  attend  to  me.  When 
he  came  back  he  invited  me  upstairs,  showed  me  a 
large  front  room,  nicely  furnished,  and  said  that  I  could 
have  that  one.  I  told  him  that  one  was  too  nice  for  a 
prisoner,  and  that  I  preferred  a  smaller  one  where  I 
could  learn  to  paint  ships  and  flags.  He  showed  me  a 
smaller  one,  which  I  took,  and  said  that  if  I  had  au}^ 
company  to  take  them  into  the  front  room,  and  when 
the  dinner  bell  rang  to  come  to  his  table.  In  a  few 
days  Mr.  Henr^^  Goddard  came  out  with  a  market 
basket  his  wife  had  filled  with  ever^-thing  nice,  for  she 
thought  I  was  eating  the  jail  food.     I  thanked  him  and 


SEVEN    WEEKS    IX    THE    WORK-HOUSE.  55 

said  that  I  was  eating  at  Mr.  Webster's  table  and  would 
be  pleased  to  see  him  an^-  time,  but  he  need  not  take 
the  trouble  to  bring  any  food.  I  could  not  see  why  it 
was  that  Mr.  Goddard  and  Mr.  Webster  took  such  an 
interest  in  an  entire  stranger.  When  the  overseers 
visited  the  house  for  their  monthly  suppers,  thev  vis- 
ited my  room  and  we  had  a  social  smoke,  and  thev 
invited  me  to  dine  with  them.  ]\Ir.  Samuel  Carleton 
was  one  of  the  overseers  at  that  time.  Many  captains 
and  merchants  came  out  to  visit  me.  When  .Mrs. 
Webster  wanted  a  nice  pigeon  dinner,  I  found  an  old 
flint-lock  gun,  cleaned  it  up,  and  put  a  row  of  corn  out 
in  the  back  vard.  The  pigeons  came  after  the  corn  in 
great  numbers,  and  I  fired  and  picked  up  sixteen  dead 
ones.  A  few  days  later  seven  or  eight  prisoners  broke 
but  of  the  House  of  Correction  and  all  escaped  to  the 
woods.  The  police  and  constables  were  hunting  da^' 
and  night  and  succeeded  in  capturing  some.  Air. 
William  Huse  called  at  the  house  and  wanted  me  to 
go  into  the  country  with  him.  I  told  him  that  I  was 
a  prisoner  and  could  not  leave.  He  said  that  he  had 
seen  Mr.  Webster  and  that  1  could  go  if  I  wished. 
Mr.  Webster  readily  consented,  saying  that  lie  was  not 
afraid  of  my  running  away.  So  we  started  out,  going 
as  far  as  Baldwin  the  first  night,  which  we  spent  at  a 
tavern  there.  The  next  day  we  met  a  farmer,  who  liad 
given  two  fellows  their  breakfast  that  morning,  whose 
description  tallied  with  that  of  two  confidence  men 
from  Boston  who  were  among  the  escaped  fugitives. 
We  traced  the  fugitives  to  Xorth  Berwick,  and  found 
that  they  had  taken  the  westward  train.  Mr.  Hu.se 
telegraphed  to  the  Boston  police,  l)ut  they  failed  to 
secure  the  men. 

After  my   return  to  the   work-house  Air.  Webster 
told  me   I  might  send  for  my  wife.     I  did  so,  and  she 


56  CAPTAIN    BKn'vS    book. 

was  with  me  some  three  weeks.  While  there  Mr. 
Cheney,  the  turnkey,  lost  his  wife  and  had  to  be  away 
a  few  days.  So  Mr.  Webster  got  me  to  take  his  place. 
At  that  time  there  were  thirty-two  prisoners  in  the 
house.  On  the  Fourth  of  July,  there  being  a  great 
celebration  in  Portland  and  a  great  deal  going  on  up 
on  Munjoy  Hill,  Mr.  Webster  invited  me  to  ride  into 
the  city  with  him.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  think  it 
would  do  for  me  to  come  in  as  I  might  meet  some  of 
the  prosecuting  officers.  He  said  that  it  would  be  all 
right  as  long  as  he  was  with  me.  Wliile  driving  up 
Congress  Street  on  to  Munjoy  Hill  we  met  Mr.  George 
F.  Shepley  coming  down.  He  looked  at  me  very 
sharply,  and  I  said  to  Mr.  Webster  that  he  would  hear 
from  Shepley.  The  next  da}'  he  did  receive  a  letter 
from  him  with  orders  to  keep  W^illard  close  as  he  wa's 
seen  in  the  city  the  day  before.  When  ni}-  time 
expired  I  paid  the  :i?'20  fine  and  left  for  home. 

I  wish  to  sa}^  to  Mr.  Cox,  ship  keeper,  that  when 
he  is  about  to  leave  this  world,  to  make  a  full  state- 
ment of  the  facts  from  the  time  he  went  on  board  the 
ship  "Antelope  "  until  he  left,  and  to  publish  that  state- 
ment in  the  daily  papers  so  that  my  friends  may  see 
it,  as  I  may  not  be  here  at  that  time. 

Capt.  David  Jones  was  intimately  acquaiuted  with 
Capt.  John  Smith,  and  corresponded  with  him  after  his 
arrival  at  Liverpool.  In  a  letter  from  Captain  Smith 
he  said  that  the  pilot  took  the  ship  to  sea  ignorant  of 
the  true  facts,  and  that  he  (Smith)  took  that  course  to 
get  his  ship  clear.  Mr.  Jones  had  the  contents  of  that 
letter  printed  in  the  daily  papers.  Had  I  known  the 
true  facts  of  the  case,  I  could  have  very  easily  left  the 
ship  after  giving  the  captain  his  course,  and  let  him 
wake  the  keeper  and  set  him  ashore  with  the  ship's 
boat  at  Portland  Head. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

IN    WHICH     A     SWORD     FISH     IS     1  lA  R]>(  )()NEn. IT    PROVKS    A    NoN'ELTV 

IN      I'ORILANI). HOW     I      I'lLO  IKD     A     DISAKLKI)     STEAMER     INTO 

PORT. THE      PERILOUS      EXPERIENCE     OF     A      PILOP. PULLIN(; 

DROWNINO     MEN     OUT     OF    THE     WATER. A    FAMOUS    CAMPINC;- 

OUT    CLUB. HEN     HAWKS     FOR     DINNER. THE    FATHER    OF    THE 

FINNAN     HADDIK    INDUSTRV    AND    HIS    SKILL    AT    (JUOITS. 

'"pHH  summer  of  1858  I  caught  ni}'  first  sword-fish 
iu  a  lapped-streak,  centreboard  sail-boat,  fourteen 
feet  long.  Capt.  B.  F.  Willard,  a  cousin,  was  with  me. 
We  went  to  Rock  Cod  Ledge  to  catch  mackerel,  taking 
harpoon,  lance,  and  line  with  us.  While  on  the  ledge, 
fishing,  we  saw  a  fin,  supposed  it  to  be  a  shark,  made 
sail  and  started  for  it.  When  I  got  nearer  I  saw  that 
it  was  no  shark,  but  a  sword-fish.  He  saw  us,  and 
started  away.  I  threw  the  harpoon  and  hit  him  in  a 
good  place,  gi\  ing  him  all  the  line  and  holding  on  to 
the  end.  The  sail  was  rolled  up  and  taken  down,  the 
fish  towing  the  boat  after  him.  After  some  time  he 
got  tired  and  we  began  to  haul  on  him  slowly,  coiling 
the  line  into  the  tub  carefully  as  we  hauled.  \\'hen 
we  got  him  in  sight  of  the  l)()at  he  started  awa\-  and 
we  gave  him  line,  clear  to  the  end  again.  Then  I  saw 
his  sword,  and  he  was  the  most  wicked  looking  fish 
that  I  e\er  put  eyes  on.  In  fact,  I  was  much  afraid  he 
would  come  through  the  boat.  We  did  not  haul  on 
him  again  for  nearly  an  hour.  As  he  lay  motionless 
on  the  bottom  we  supposed  he  was  dead,  and  hauled 
him  up  carefully.  When  alongside  and  the  gaff  in 
him,  I  took  the  lance  and  lanced  him  four  or  five  times 


MV    FIRST    SWORD-FISH.  59 

to  make  sure  he  was  dead.  We  had  all  that  we  could 
do  to  get  him  into  the  boat.  On  arriving  home  we 
took  him  into  Mr.  K.  D.  Atwood's  fish  market  to 
exhibit.  When  he  was  measured  he  was  seventeen 
feet  in  length.  This  was  the  first  sword-fish  I  ever 
saw  landed  in  Portland.  He  was  on  exhibition  two 
days.  The  market  was  crowded  most  of  the  time  to 
see  the  monster.  The  two  daj/s  brought  us  in  $167  in 
ten-cent  pieces.  Then  he  was  skinned  and  mounted. 
At  that  time  there  were  not  ten  pounds  of  that  kind  of 
meat  sold,  as  people  were  not  acquainted  with  it.  I 
would,  wdien  musters  were  in  the  city,  get  a  tent  of 
Mr.  Fowler,  the  sail-maker,  and  put  it  on  exhibition, 
with  a  life-size  painting  of  the  fish  on  the  outside  of 
the  tent.  I  would  take  from  $40  to  $50  a  da^-.  After 
keeping  it  two  years,  I  sold  the  fish  for  $25. 

How  I  PiL()'ri-:i)  THi{  " North  A.mkrican''  ix. — 
In  the  winter  of  1858-59  it  was  severely'  cold.  I  was 
then  on  the  pilot  boat  "iVlida."  She  set  low  in  the 
water,  her  draft  was  six  feet,  and  she  was  a  good,  safe 
boat,  but  very  wet  in  a  strong  breeze.  I  had  one 
particularly  hard  trip  in  her  while  looking  for  the 
steamship  "  North  American,"  Captain  McMaster,  from 
Liverpool.  After  being  out  seven  days  and  nights  m\- 
man  was  taken  sick,  and  I  came  to  land  him,  shipping 
Capt.  B.  F.  Willard  in  his  place.  While  doing  this, 
Captain  Crawford,  port  captain  of  the  Alhiu  line, 
brought  me  a  telegram  that  the  steamship  had  touched 
at  Halifax  and  was  due  here.  In  coming  out  she  had 
run  into  Cape  Race  and  stove  a  hole  in  her  bow,  the 
forward  compartment  filling.  We  at  once  turned  the 
boat  about  and  went  outside,  staying  there  as  long  as 
we  could.  The  vapor  became  so  thick  that  we  could 
not  see  Portland  Light,  and  the  boat  iced  up  badly ;  so 


6o  CAPTAIN    BEn'vS    book. 

we  stood  inside  Ram  Island  Ledge,  where  the  island 
made  some  shelter,  and  anchored.  The  wind  was  north 
northeast  and  blowing  ver}^  heav3^ 

About  midnight  our  anchor  rope  chafed  off  and  it 
took  us  some  little  time  to  get  our  heav}'  clothing  on. 
We  got  forward  and  hauled  in  the  rope.  B}^  this  time 
we  were  drifting  out  b}^  the  ledge,  where  the  sea  was 
running  sharp.  We  hoisted  the  head  of  the  jib,  wore 
around  and  hoisted  close-reefed  mainsail,  and  steered 
in  for  Bangs  Island.  The  vapor  was  so  thick  we  could 
not  see  three  boats'  length.  While  steering  in,  the 
big  anchor  was  got  ready  and  one  end  of  the  line  made 
fast  round  the  foremast.  \\'hen  breakers  were  sighted 
near  the  Point  we  luffed  to,  anchored,  and  furled  the 
sail.  I  did  not  dare  to  go  inside  the  Point  for  fear  of 
the  heav}'  drift  ice  coming  down  the  ba\\  The  night 
being  very  cold,  we  took  one-hour  watclies.  The  boat 
was  dipping  her  bowsprit  and  making  ice  ver}-  fast, 
and  the  man  on  deck  kept  busy  breaking  it  off.  It 
was  B.  J.  Willard  on  the  starboard  watch  and  B.  F. 
Willard  on  the  port,  and  the  coffee  kept  hot  all  night. 
We  had  no  sleep,  but  went  below  by  turns  long  enough 
to  get  warm. 

Before  da3'light  the  wind  canted  in  and  the  water 
became  smooth.  At  daybreak  the  boat  was  a  sight  to 
see;  she  had  settled  over  two  feet  by  the  head,  and  her 
bowsprit,  jib,  foot  ropes,  bobsta^',  and  bowsprit  gU3'S 
were  one  solid  mass  of  ice.  B}^  nine  o'clock  the  vapor 
had  so  settled  that  we  could  see  the  top  of  Portland 
Head  Light.  Soon  after,  my  brother  William,  who 
was  towing  out  a  brig  with  the  tow-boat  "Tiger," 
steamed  over  to  me  and  said  there  was  no  clear  water 
inside  Bangs  Island.  As  ni}-  boat  was  unmanageable, 
I  towed  in  with  him. 


HOW  I  PILOTKI)  THK  "  NORTH  A:\IKRICAN"  IX.         6l 

On  arrival  in  town  I  went  to  Captain  Crawford 
and  reported  it  impossible  to  stay  ont  any  longer  in 
the  pilot  boat ;  that  the  only  wa}-  was  to  watch  from 
the  Observatory  day  and  night  until  the  ship  was 
sighted.  As  he  agreed  with  nie  I  took  rockets  and 
blue  lights  to  the  tug  boat  and  hired  a  man  to  watch 
from  the  Observatory  the  first  night,  introducing  him 
to  Tvlr.  Moody,  who  was  always  read}'  to  render  any 
kindness  in  his  power.  In  the  morning  I  went  to 
relieve  m}'  watchman  ;  and  about  ten  o'clock,  the  vapor 
having  settled,  I  sighted  the  ship's  flag  above  the 
woods  on  Bangs  Island.  Then  I  ran  for  the  tug  Ijoat, 
and  the  crew  happening  to  be  there  we  started  off  at 
once.  After  passing  Ram  Island  Ledge  we  ran  into 
thick  vapor,  and,  though  I  knew  about  the  direction  to 
go,  I  could  not  tell  whether  the  vessel  was  under  way  or 
anchored.  Finally  we  heard  a  gnu,  but  the  report  M'as 
confusing.  When  the  port  gun,  toward  us,  was  fired, 
it  would  sound  close  by ;  but  the  starboard  gun  sounded 
a  long  distance  away,  as  though  the  ship  were  making 
off.  However,  we  kept  on  running  for  the  sound  and 
blowing  our  whistle,  and  when  within  two  miles  of 
Cod  Ledge  found  the  ship  at  anchor  in  quite  deep 
water.  Captain  AIcMaster  said  he  never  was  so  glad 
to  see  any  man  in  his  life  as  he  was  to  see  me,  as  he 
had  begun  to  be  deeplv  troubled  over  the  danger  he 
was  in,  and  signs  of  a  big  snow-storm  were  multiph'- 
ing.  We  steamed  in  slowly,  on  account  of  the  press- 
ure of  water  against  the  bulkhead.  I  took  ni}-  station 
at  the  foretop  to  look  over  the  vapor  if  possible.  A\'hen 
within  half  a  mile  of  Ram  Island  the  tops  of  the  trees 
on  Bangs  Island  could  be  seen,  as  well  as  Portland 
Head  Light.  When  I  came  down  to  the  pilot  bridge 
both  my  ears  were  frozen.  It  began  to  snow  just  as 
we  reached  the  wharf. 


62  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    BOOK. 

After  the  cargo  was  discharged  the  ship  went  to 
Portsmouth  Navy  Yard  dock  for  repairs,  and  I  went 
with  her.  On  the  way  there  the  water  was  two  feet 
higher  in  the  forward  compartment  than  outside  the 
ship.  Old  sails  were  stuck  in  the  forepeak  and  shored 
up  with  spars  to  stop  some  of  the  pressure  of  water. 
When  in  the  dry-dock  she  showed  where  she  hit  the 
bluff  at  Cape  Race;  it  was  the  fourteen-feet  mark  on 
the  cut-water,  and  from  there  round  the  forefoot.  Fif- 
teen feet  of  the  keel  had  slewed  off  sideways,  driving 
the  cut-water  into  the  ship  some  three  feet.  Her  bow- 
sprit struck  the  cliff  at  the  same  time. 

Saving  a  Man  From  Drowning.  —  One  day, 
while  walking  along  Commercial  Street,  I  saw  several 
men  running  for  Burnham's  Wharf,  and  hastened  there 
to  see  what  the  trouble  was.  The  wharf  was  covered 
with  men  looking  down  into  the  dock.  I  crowded 
through  them,  and  looking  down  I  saw  a  man  drown- 
ing. I  immediately  pulled  off  my  hat  and  coat  and 
jumped  in,  feet  first,  behind  him.  It  being  low  tide 
and  about  seven  feet  of  water,  I  stuck  in  the  mud,  but 
kicked  myself  out  and  came  up.  When  I  got  to  the 
surface  he  was  just  sinking.  I  caught  hold  of  his 
collar  and  swam  with  him  up  to  the  piling.  He  had 
just  life  enough  left  to  hold  on  to  the  piling  with  both 
arms.  I  put  one  arm  on  the  next  pile  and  held  him 
up  with  the  other,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  boat  came 
with  two  men  from  the  next  wharf.  The  man  was  well 
filled  up  with  salt  water  and  something  stronger,  I 
judged  by  the  smell.  I  immediatel}^  went  to  work  on 
him,  holding  his  head  down  for  a  few  seconds  for  the 
water  to  run  out,  and  then  holding  it  up  for  him  to 
breathe.  While  I  was  doing  this  the  men  were  rowing 
the  boat  around  to  Maine  Wharf  steps.     When  he  got 


vSAVING    A    MAN    FROM    DROWXIG.  63 

on  the  wharf  he  was  able  to  walk  with  the  assistance 
of  his  friends.  This  was  the  second  man  that  I  have 
saved  from  drowning  b}-  jnmping  overboard  after  them, 
and  holding  them  up  until  a  boat  came  to  my  assist- 
ance. In  all  cases  3-ou  must  keep  behind  drowning 
men,  as  they  will  grapple  anything  that  the}^  can  get 
hold  of,  and  if  they  once  get  hold  of  you  it  will  be 
impossible  for  you  to  swim ;  in  that  case  both  will  sink 
at  once.  I  do  not  approve  of  rolling  a  person  on  a 
barrel  to  get  the  water  out  of  him,  as  the  water  will 
rush  into  the  throat  and  strangle  him.  The  life  saving 
station  has  the  best  method  of  treating  such  cases. 

Thk  "Nettle"  and  Her  Fortunes.  —  In  the 
fall  of  1859  I  sold  my  pilot  boat,  "Alida,"  went  to 
Boston,  and  bought  the  schooner  A-acht  "Nettle";  she 
being  a  much  larger  and  safer  one  than  the  "Alida," 
and  a  good  sailor.  I  fitted  her  up  for  a  pilot  boat  and 
put  "No.  i"  in  her  mainsail.  I  used  her  for  piloting 
in  the  winter  and  pleasure  parties  to  the  islands  in  the 
summer,  as  well  as  parties  for  deep-sea  fishing.  I  had 
a  large,  safe  dor}-  built,  that  would  seat  twentv-three 
persons,  to  land  at  the  islands.  This  boat  came  in  use 
for  catching  big  fish.  In  the  warm  weather  I  had  all 
the  business  that  I  could  attend  to.  Mr.  Daniel  Gould, 
my  partner,  meantime  looked  after  the  stevedoring, 
which  was  beginning  to  increase.  I  have  seen,  from 
sunrise  to  sunset,  sixteen  cargoes  of  molasses  arrive 
in  the  harbor  from  Cuba.  At  that  time  the}^  began  to 
lay  the  railroad  tracks  down  on  the  wharves  and  fill 
them  with  lumber  and  shook  so  we  could  not  work  on 
wheels.  Some  time  later,  by  advice  of  Mr.  John  B. 
Curtis,  I  built  a  scow  and  put  a  hoisting  engine  in  it 
and  all  the  equipments  to  discharge  a  vessel.  That 
proved  a  big  success,  because  it  could  go  anywhere  a 


64  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

vessel  did.  As  business  increased,  the  steam  hoisters 
increased.  At  the  present  time  nearly'  all  the  hoisting 
is  done  by  steam ;  an  average  day's  work  by  steam  and 
one  gang  being  300  tons  of  coal  per  day. 

In  the  summer  of  i860  arrivals  of  coal  and  salt 
were  on  the  fast  increase,  and  the  wharves  were  well 
filled  up  with  square-rigged  vessels,  bringing  cargoes 
and  taking  them  away.  It  was  nothing  unusual  to 
see,  at  that  time,  several  barks  and  brigs  beating  out 
or  in  the  harbor  as  the  case  might  be.  That  summer 
the  mackerel  fishermen  were  getting  good  fares,  and 
there  was  still  good  mackerel  fishing  in  Casco  Bay. 
Late  in  the  season  of  i860  I  took  several  mackerel 
parties  out  to  Rock  Cod  Ledge,  where  they  had  abun- 
dant success. 

A  Famous  Camping-Out  Cli^b. — In  the  summer 
of  1 86 1  I  took  the  Giojelliere  Club  to  Jewell's  Island 
(giojelliere  is  Italian  for  jeweler)  to  camp  out  for  two 
weeks,  a  trip  that  was  repeated  for  four  seasons.  The 
following  were  the  club  members :  G.  A.  Thomas, 
John  L.  Shaw,  George  M.  Howe,  Thomas  McKwan, 
Alex  D.  Reeves,  Charles  H.  Sawyer,  John  K.  Paine, 
Sewall  W.  Thrasher,  Charles  Carlton,  William  H. 
Dennett,  William  W.  Colby,  Jarvis  Stevens,  Waldstein 
Phillips,  Sumuer  C.  Fernald.  The  pilot  boat  "Nettle" 
was  kept  in  attendance  while  they  were  in  camp.  In 
pleasant  weather  the  boat  was  used  after  breakfast  for 
deep-sea  fishing.  Plenty  of  cod  and  mackerel  were 
caught  for  their  own  use.  One  trip  on  Rock  Cod 
Ivcdge  we  sighted  a  large  sword-fish,  harpooned  him, 
and  in  about  half  an  hour  had  him  on  board.  I  con- 
sider Jewell's  Island  the  best  place  for  camping  out 
there  is  in  Casco  Bay ;  plenty  of  fine  clams  near  the 
camping-ground,  and  lots  of  nice  eggs,  milk,  and  but- 
ter from  a  farm  near  at  hand. 


66  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Captain  Chase,  the  owner  of  the  island,  was  very 
kind  to  us,  and  took  particular  pride  in  pointing  out 
the  places  where  it  was  reported  people  had  dug  up 
great  treasures  buried  by  Captain  Kidd,  the  famous 
pirate ;  but  all  the  digging  we  did  was  for  clams — thev 
were  rich  enough  for  us.  The  club  had  a  highly  orig- 
inal code  of  rules  ;  one  of  them  forbidding  all  sleep 
the  last  night  of  the  stay,  and  another  commanding 
the  kindling  of  a  big  bonfire  on  that  occasion.  Captain 
Chase  gave  us  all  the  trees  we  wanted  for  the  purpose. 
One  day  each  season  was  set  apart  for  shooting  on  the 
other  islands;  sandpeeps  and  plovers  being  in  especial 
demand.  All  the  game,  whatever  it  might  be,  had  to 
be  cooked.  I  brought  in  a  hen  hawk  one  time.  The 
bird  looked  nice  and  brown  when  brought  to  the  table. 
Being  the  man  who  shot  it  I  had  to  do  the  carving, 
but  my  invitation  to  partake  met  with  dead  silence. 
Nobod}^  seemed  to  be  hankering  for  hen  hawk.  It 
looked  so  dainty  that  I  was  tempted,  and  cut  a  piece 
out  of  the  breast.  When  I  put  my  teeth  into  the  slice 
a  most  horrible  oil  seemed  to  come  up  round  them.  I 
did  not  get  the  bad  taste  out  of  my  mouth  for  a  month. 
The  last  night  was  always  given  up  to  frolic ;  and 
blacking  the  faces  of  the  drowsy  folks,  putting  raw 
clams  in  their  boots,  and  similar  sinful  games  were 
indulged  in  by  the  more  mischievous  ones. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  quoit  pitching  during 
the  camping  out;  four  pounders  being  thrown  sixty- 
three  feet  by  the  experts.  Mr.  Thomas  McEwan  (the 
first  man  to  smoke  finnan  baddies  in  Portland  and 
the  originator  of  that  flourishing  industry  here)  was 
the  champion  player  and  I  was  his  partner.  Mau}^ 
times  he  was  challenged  b}-  his  Scotch  friends  to  con- 
tests of  skill  with  the  quoits,  and  he  invariably  won. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PORTLAND    HARBOR     IN     WAR     TTME. MUCH     TANOLED     RED     TAPE. 

RUSHING    ASSOCIATED    PRESS     NEWS     TO     THE     SHORE. PERILOUS 

EXPERIENCE    OF    A     COAST     PILOT. THE     CLOSE     SHAVE    OF     THE 

"ANGLO    SAXON." SUDDEN    DEATH    OF    I\IY    FATHER. 

TN  the  fall  of  1861,  it  being  war  time  and  particnlar 
caution  needed,  Air.  J.  L.  Farmer  and  myself  went 
to  Fort  Preble  to  see  the  captain  in  charge  of  the 
fort  in  order  to  fix  signals  so  the  mail  steamships 
could  pass  on  up  to  the  city.  They  were  fixed  at  five 
whistles  of  five  seconds  each.  The  fort  Avas  to  give 
the  ship  one  blue  light ;  the  ship  to  respond  with  one 
whistle  and  pass  on.  If  no  blue  light  was  given,  the 
order  was  to  anchor  the  ship  and  go  on  shore  to  report. 
This  went  on  well  for  a  time.  The  whistle  was  to  be 
given  when  abreast  of  the  wharf  at  Bangs  Island. 

One  bitter  cold  night  I  was  taking  in  one  of  the 
mail  ships  and  got  no  answer  to  the  whistle;  so 
anchored  the  ship,  lowered  the  boat,  and  went  to  the 
fort.  The  wind  was  very  strong  and  cold.  We  hailed 
the  sentinel.  After  waiting  some  ten  minutes,  an 
officer  and  a  few  men  came  down  to  the  boat,  asking 
all  manner  of  c(uestions.  The  officer  wanted  to  know 
why  I  did  not  give  proper  signals.  I  told  him  I  gave 
the  signals  arranged  before  going  to  the  shi]),  and 
waited  for  the  fort  signal  to  pass;  but  no  signal  was 
given.  He  then  gave  me  orders  to  pass.  The  next 
day  I  called  on  the  captain  at  Fort  Preble  and  stated 
my  case.  The  fact  was  the  sentinel  was  asleep,  and  he 
was  punished  for  it.     Then  the  signals  were  changed. 


68  CAPTAIN    BEX'S    BOOK. 

The  same  whistles  were  given,  and  if  I  got  no  answer 
I  was  to  pass  on.  If  I  got  a  blue  light  I  was  to  anchor 
the  ship  and  report  to  the  fort.  That,  too,  worked  well 
for  a  time,  as  the}'  could  sleep  and  the  ship  pass  up  to 
the  wharf.  A  little  later  I  was  taking  a  mail  ship  in, 
got  b}'  the  fort,  and  was  nearly  in  range  of  Fort  Gorges, 
when  Fort  Preble  sent  a  cannon  ball  across  our  bow  and 
ver}'  near  us.  As  we  heard  it  scream,  going  through 
the  air,  the  captain  of  the  ship  asked  if  the}'  were  going 
to  shoot  us.  I  told  him  that  I  gave  the  proper  signal. 
The  ship  was  then  anchored.  The  officer  heard  the 
chain  running  out,  luckih'  for  us,  as  he  might  have 
kept  on  firing.  The  boat  was  lowered,  and,  lantern  in 
hand,  we  landed.  I  walked  up  the  wharf  and  passing 
the  wood  pile  saw  the  flash  of  a  musket.  I  began  to 
think  my  last  hour  had  come.  I  understood  some  time 
afterwards  that  the  gun  was  fired  to  bring  the  guard. 
The  sentinel  cried,  "  Halt."  I  did  so  and  waited  some 
time  in  the  cold.  Finall\'  an  officer  and  ten  men  came 
in  sight  with  a  lantern.  When  within  ten  feet  of  me 
he  halted  his  men,  and  asked,  "^Mlo  comes  there,"  or 
something  like  it.  I  said,  ''  Willard,  the  pilot."  Then 
he  asked  me  why  I  did  not  give  the  signal.  I  told  him 
I  gave  the  signal  as  arranged  b}-  his  captain.  After  a 
lot  more  questions  he  let  us  pass,  though  at  one  time 
he  thought  of  putting  a  squad  of  men  on  board.  The 
next  da\'  I  called  on  the  fort  captain  aud  a  new  code  of 
signals  was  arranged,  which  worked  very  well  until 
transports  came  for  government  stores  to  take  South. 
Then  there  was  no  end  of  trouble.  The  first  transport 
I  boarded  had  but  one  rust}'  old  gun  that  we  were 
obliged  to  "squib  out"  to  see  if  it  would  work;  and 
several  that  followed  had  no  guns  at  all.  So  we  went 
back  to  whistles,  and  these  had  to  be  changed  often  for 


THE    BITTER    EXPERIENCE    OF    A    PILOT.  69 

fear  the  Confederates  would  learu  the  code.  One  of  the 
ships  that  came  for  government  supplies  was  the  well- 
known  "Great  Republic."  When  mailships  came  into 
the  harbor,  night  or  day  ( this  was  before  the  Atlantic 
cable  began  to  work),  I  took  the  associated  dispatches, 
fastened  them  to  a  line  and  lowered  it  from  the  bridge 
to  a  boat  provided  by  Mr.  Ira  Berrv  for  the  purpose; 
his  design  being  to  save  all  the  time  possible  in  getting 
the  news  on  the  wires  to  New  York.  He  could  not 
wait  for  the  ship  to  dock. 

The  Bitter  Experience  of  a  Pilot.  —  The 
life  of  a  pilot  is  but  a  hard  one  at  its  best,  and  his 
perils  are  many.  One  day  I  took  the  steamship  "In- 
dian," Captain  Jones,  out,  and  the  weather  being  calm 
concluded  not  to  bother  the  tug,  but  return  alone  in  my 
little  boat.  But  by  the  time  we  were  passing  Portland 
Head  a  high  sea  and  wind  rose  and  it  became  very 
rough.  When  the  ship  was  a  safe  distance  outside  she 
hove  to  so  that  I  might  leave.  The  boat  was  lowered 
and  I  watched  ni}-  chance  to  drop  into  lier.  It  came 
and  I  sheered  off  from  the  ship's  side,  singing  out  to 
her  people  to  let  go  of  my  bow  painter;  but  happening 
to  look  over  m^-  shoulder  I  saw  the  bow  line  becoming 
taut.  Coming  on  top  of  a  sea  at  the  same  time  the 
boat  rolled  over  bottom  up,  with  me  under  it  and  the 
water  gurgling  in  my  ears.  The  next  sea  turned  her 
right  side  up  and  I  called  to  haul  up,  watching  mv 
chance  to  seize  the  ship  ladder.  In  this  I  succeeded, 
and  mv  boat  was  hauled  u])  by  the  bow  line.  Captain 
Jones  wanted  me  to  go  across  to  Liverpool  witli  hiui, 
insisting  that  ni}'  boat  could  never  live  in  that  sea.  But 
I  told  him  to  stop  the  ship  and  head  for  the  Two  Lights. 
At  this  time  we  were  abreast  Bell  Rock.  He  ordered 
a  life-preserver  put  in  the  boat,  and  ])ressed  a  stiff  horn 


JO  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

of  brandy  on  me,  biit  the  latter  I  declined,  telling  him 
that  if  I  was  going  to  be  drowned  I  wanted  to  die 
sober. 

This  time,  though  with  difficulty,  I  cleared  the 
ship's  side  safely,  and  started  for  home.  The  sea  was 
running  yery  high  as  the  passengers  cro^vded  to  the 
rail  to  watch  my  course,  and  the  captain  sent  some  men 
into  the  rigging  for  a  lookout.  I  did  not  haye  to  row 
much  as  the  wind  and  high  sea  droye  me  on  eyen  faster 
than  I  wished  to  go.  When  high  combers  came  I  had  to 
back  water  with  both  oars,  to  steady  the  boat  from  run- 
ning too  fast  and  from  broaching.  This  had  to  be  done 
until  Bangs  Island  Point  was  reached.  There  I  got 
smooth  water  and  pulled  hard  for  Simonton's  Coye.  It 
was  nearl}'  dark  when  I  reached  there,  thoroughly 
chilled,  and  went  to  ni}-  father's  house  to  get  warm  and 
pass  the  night. 

I  think  that  Captain  Jones  was  as  fine  a  captain  as 
eyer  walked  a  ship's  deck.  He  was  a  great  favorite 
among  his  passengers,  and  always  had  good  luck  on 
quick  passages.  Later,  when  he  was  in  the  steamship 
"  Hungarian,"  from  Liverpool  to  Portland,  I  was  out 
looking  for  his  ship  some  three  or  four  da^^s,  and  ex- 
pecting to  see  her  come  in  sight  every  moment.  At 
the  end  of  the  fourth  da}-  I  saw  the  steam  tug  "  Uncle 
Sam,"  with  my  brother  William,  coming  to  bring  me 
the  news  that  the  ship  "  Hungarian,"  with  all  hands, 
was  lost  on  Cape  Sable. 

Thk  Close  Shave  of  the  "Anglo  Saxon." — One 
time  I  was  out  looking  for  the  steamship  "Anglo  Saxon," 
and  had  my  brother  Henry  and  Capt.  Granville  Lowell 
with  me.  We  were  out  about  seven  days  and  nights. 
The  ship  was  making  a  long  passage.  I  felt  sure  that 
she  would  heave  in  sight  the  seventh  night,  as  she  had 


THE    CLOSE    SHA\'E    OE    THE    "aXGEO    SAXOX."        7 1 

favorable  weather  for  the  last  two  or  three  days.  It 
was  a  dark  night  and  stormy,  and  the  wind  north 
northeast,  but  the  lights  could  be  seen  plainly.  About 
midnight  a  light  was  sighted  outside.  As  it  came 
nearer  we  thought  it  must  be  the  steamship  as  the 
light  was  brighter  than  on  sailing  vessels.  Thinking 
it  strange  she  sent  up  no  rockets  or  blue  lights,  we 
burnt  a  blue  light ;  but  got  no  answer.  As  she  got 
nearer  we  could  see  that  it  was  the  "Anglo  Saxon"  with- 
out doubt.  We  tacked  ship  and  went  to  burning  blue 
lights  and  then  a  torch ;  the  torch  being  made  of 
oakum  saturated  with  kerosene  and  tied  to  a  boat  hook. 

The  ship  was  running  away  from  us  fast.  Though 
we  had  rockets  aboard,  the  spray  was  coming  over  the 
pilot  boat  so  fast  we  could  not  use  them.  After  a 
while  we  attracted  attention  and  the  ship  stopped.  At 
that  time  all  ships  ran  for  Portland  Head  Light,  bear- 
ing northwest  by  north,  but  the  "  Anglo  Saxon  "  was 
drifting  fast  for  Trundy's  Reef  Shoal,  as  I  found  by 
taking  the  bearing  of  the  light  when  near  her  stern.  I 
leaped  on  board,  fearing  every  moment  that  she  would 
strike  bottom,  and  sang  out  at  the  top  of  mv  voice, 
"  Hard  to  port  and  full  speed  ahead."  Then  I  ran  to 
the  pilot  bridge,  telling  the  captain  that  the  vessel 
might  strike  an\-  instant,  as  she  was  so  near  the  ledge 
I  could  not  tell  where  the  buoy  was.  I  still  anxiouslv 
watched  the  compass,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  changed 
lier  ])earing  for  Portland  Head  and  I  felt  safe.  Then 
I  drew  a  long  breath,  as  I  let  the  captain  know  it  was 
the  closest  shave  I  ever  saw  a  ship  in  and  get  out  safe. 

When  asked  why  he  did  not  send  up  rockets  while 
approaching,  the  captain  replied  that  it  was  so  rough 
he  didn't  think  the  pilot  boat  would  be  out  such  a 
night.      He  supposed  the  blue  light  was  a  ship  signal- 


72  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

iiig  for  a  pilot,  and  thought  he  was  heading  off,  I 
told  him  I  did  not  wonder  he  thought  so,  for  he  passed 
me  like  a  greyhound.  Seeing  the  lights  in  the  saloon 
convinced  me  that  it  was  the  "Anglo  Saxon,"  no  other 
ship  being  due  at  that  time.  She  was  getting  short  of 
coal,  had  steamed  slowly  for  one  or  two  days,  and  was 
using  up  all  the  spare  spars,  fenders,  and  steerage 
berths.  We  finally  got  the  ship  to  the  city  and  docked 
her  safel}'.  She  had  just  a  wheelbarrow  full  of  coal 
left  on  reaching  port. 

I  sta3-ed  on  the  wharf  the  rest  of  the  night  looking 
for  the  pilot  boat  and  feeling  a  good  deal  worried.  As 
she  could  onh'  fetch  Pond  Cove  or  the  Black  Rocks  on 
the  first  tack  I  feared  she  would  have  a  perilous  time. 
A  little  after  da^-break  I  saw  her  coming  round  Spring 
Point.  It  seems  that  she  came  near  running  into 
Trund^-'s  Reef  buo\^,  the  main  boom  just  swinging  over 
it.  She  was  five  hours  beating  from  the  Black  Rocks 
by  Portland  Head.  When  heading  off  she  would  dive 
into  the  sea  up  to  the  foremast,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  make  much  headwa}-  in  such  high  seas;  but  the 
boat  did  not  fail  to  tack  ever\^  time  thej'  wanted  it  to. 
Captain  Lowell  suggested  to  my  brother  Henry  to  run 
out  round  the  cape  and  go  to  Wood  Island,  but  Henry 
refused,  saying  that  if  worst  came  to  worst  he  would 
run  her  ashore  in  Alewive  Cove. 

My  Father's  Sudden  Death.  —  M}^  father  was 
a  fisherman  all  his  life,  and  went  upon  the  water  nearly 
ever}'  suitable  da3\  He  was  noted  for  his  unusual 
good  judgment  about  running  in  thick  weather.  On 
the  morning  of  June  3,  1863,  he  went  from  Simonton's 
Cove  to  Richmond  Island,  in  a  Hampton  boat,  with  a 
small  boy  as  companion,  to  get  bait.  The  two  stayed 
at  the    island    all  night,   and   next   morning    went    to 


MY    FATHKr'S    sudden    DEATH.  73 

the  fishing  grounds,  where  they  set  their  trawls  and 
anchored  their  boat  for  hand-line  fishing.  After  fishing 
for  a  time  the  boy  hooked  a  halibut.  Father  went  for- 
ward to  handle  the  fish,  the  bo}^  put  the  gafif  in,  and 
between  the  two  the}-  hauled  it  into  the  boat.  There  it 
began  to  struggle,  and  as  my  father  bent  over  to  finish 
it  he  fell  back  into  the  boat  dead. 

The  boy  shouted  to  Mr.  John  Still  well,  who  was 
fishing  in  a  boat  quite  a  distance  from  them.  Air.  Still- 
well,  seeing  onlj'  one  man  in  the  boat  where  a  moment 
before  he  had  seen  two,  thought  something  was  wrong 
and  hastened  to  lend  assistance.  As  the  bo^-  felt  confi- 
dent of  his  ability  to  bring  the  boat  in  unaided  after 
the  mast  was  set,  and  haul  the  trawl  too,  Mr.  Stillwell 
took  father  in  his  own  boat  and  brought  him  to  the 
cove.  When  he  arrived  at  the  beach  I  happened  to  be 
there.  The  doctor,  who  was  hastily  summoned,  pro- 
nounced the  cause  of  death  to  be  the  bursting  of  a 
blood  vessel  on  the  brain. 

The  bo}^,  who  is  now  Mr.  Edward  Field,  Superin- 
tendent of  Government  Fortifications  at  Portland  Head, 
brought  his  boat  in  safely,  and  received  manv  a  com- 
pliment, as  well  as  something  more  substantial,  for  his 
presence  of  mind  and  the  skill  he  displaved. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

CAPTURE    OF    THE    "CALEB    CUSHINC;  "     AND    THE    "  ARCHER "    P>V    CON- 
FEDERATE    PRIVATEERS. THE      BOLD     ATTEMPT     IN      PORTLAND 

HARBOR. A  DAY    OF    EXCITEMENT  IN    THE    CITY. SOLDIERS    AND 

CITIZENS    TO     THE    RESCUE. BLOWTNC;    UP    OF     THE    "CUSHINt;" 

AND    RECAPTURE  OF    THE    "ARCHER." CONFEDERATE  PRISONERS 

IN    FORT     PREBLE. HOW    DANIEL    GOULD     CAME    TO     HIS    DEATH. 

(\^  ^^^  morning  of  the  ayth  of  June,  1863,  the  city 
was  thrown  into  great  commotion  by  the  news  that 
the  revenue  cutter  "Caleb  Cushing''  had  been  taken 
out  of  the  harbor  the  night  before  by  Lieutenant  Reed, 
of  the  Confederate  Xav}'.  and  his  crew  of  twent3^-one, 
and  that  she  had  been  sighted  off  Green  Island  bj'  the 
Observatory-  people. 

The  story  of  the  daring  seizure  and  subsequent 
recapture  is  familiar  to  those  acquainted  with  the  his- 
tor\'  of  the  Civil  \\'ar,  but  may  be  new  to  some  of  my 
readers-  Lieut.  C.  AW  Reed,  a  commissioned  officer  of 
the  Confederate  Navy,  was  commander  of  the  privateer 
"Tacon\',"  which  had  committed  many  depredations  on 
the  northern  coast  and  high  seas,  and  was  laden  with 
considerable  spoil.  Learning  that  Federal  cruisers 
were  after  him,  and  fearing  recognition  as  his  vessel 
had  become  prett}^  well  known.  Lieutenant  Reed,  after 
capturing  the  schooner  "Archer,"  of  Southport,  on  the 
24th  of  June,  transferred  everything  to  her  and  burned 
the  "Tacony."  The  "Archer"  was  then  headed  for 
Portland,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  out  the  "Cush- 
ing,"  then  lying  in  the  stream,  and  destro3'ing  the 
uncompleted  United  States  gunboats  "  Poutoone"  and 


'^^  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

"Agawam,"  moored  at  Franklin  Wharf,  as  well  as 
other  shipping  that  might  be  found  in  the  harbor. 

While  on  the  way  two  Falmouth  fishermen,  Albert 
P.  Bibber  and  Elbridge  Titcomb,  who  were  hauling 
their  trawl  in  a  small  boat  about  eight  miles  to  the 
southeast  of  Damariscove  Island,  were  captured  by 
Reed,  whose  intention  was  to  use  them  as  pilots;  but 
they  refused  to  so  serve  and  were  put  in  confinement. 
About  sunset  the  "Archer"  came  to  harbor  to  the  east- 
ward of  Pomeroy's  Rock,  off  Fish  Point.  At  this  place 
the  privateer  remained,  waiting  for  the  opportunity^  to 
carry  the  audacious  design  into  execution.  The  clear- 
ness of  the  night,  it  is  believed,  deterred  them  from 
accomplishing  the  whole  of  their  daring  purpose. 

The  Daring  Attempt  in  Portland  Harbor. 
— About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  detachment  from 
the  "Archer"  approached  the  "Gushing"  with  muffled 
oars,  and  boarded  her,  gagging  and  ironing  the  watch. 
Lieutenant  Davenport,  the  officer  in  charge,  was  seized 
as  soon  as  he  came  on  deck,  and  the  crew,  about  twent}^ 
in  number,  placed  in  irons.  The  cutter  was  then 
towed  out  of  the  harbor  by  the  way  of  Hussey's  Sound, 
thus  avoiding  the  forts,  followed  by  the  "Archer." 
Reed  passed  through  the  passage  between  Cow  Island 
and  Hog  Island,  standing  out  to  sea  hy  Green  Island. 
At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  was  about  fifteen 
miles  from  the  city,  when  the  wind  died  awa}-  and  left 
him  becalmed. 

Portland  to  the  REvScue.  —  On  hearing  of  the 
audacious  attempt  all  Portland  was  in  arms,  and  ener- 
getic measures  were  taken  by  Mav'or  McGlellan  and 
Gustoms  GoUector  Jewett.  Steamers  in  the  harbor 
were  pressed  into  service  and  volunteers  enrolled.  I 
learned  that  the  Boston  steamer  "Forest  Gity,"  Gapt- 


CAPT.    JOHN    LISCOMB.    STEAMER         FOREST    CITY."    JUNE     27,    1863. 


yS  CAPTAIN  ben'vS  book. 

John  Liscomb,  was  getting  ready  to  go  to  the  rescue, 
and  so  went  down  to  the  boat.  Captain  Liscomb  said  he 
was  getting  up  steam  and  going  over  to  Fort  Preble  to 
get  men  and  guns.  It  being  low  tide  the  steamer  could 
not  get  up  to  the  wharf,  and  I  suggested  that  I  had  a 
large  boat  and  would  take  whatever  was  wanted  to  the 
steamer.  He  readily  closed  with  the  offer  and  told  me 
to  take  the  boat  along. 

On  arriving  near  the  fort,  a  large  number  of  men 
from  the  regulars  were  boated  off  with  rifles,  and  spare 
muskets  furnished  to  the  volunteers.  Two  brass  field 
pieces  were  also  taken  on  board.  Then  we  started  for 
the  captured  cutter.  On  passing  Bangs  Island  Point, 
I  went  to  the  foremast  head  with  opera  glasses  and 
could  make  her  out  in  the  haze  a  long  distance  off. 
There  was  a  light  wind  to  the  eastward  and  she  was 
headed  to  the  south.     We  at  once  cleared  for  action. 

When  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  cutter  we 
were  in  her  wake,  running  straight  for  her.  Then  she 
tacked,  and  we  could  see  her  men  getting  the  midship 
pivot  gun  ready.  Captain  Liscomb  ported  his  helm  and 
stood  to  the  west.  Presently  the  gun  was  discharged, 
and  the  shot,  a  thirty-tw^o  pounder,  came  skipping  over 
the  water,  falling  just  short  of  the  steamer.  It  was  a 
good  line  shot.  At  this  time  the  New  York  boat 
"  Chesapeake,"  which  had  also  been  pressed  into  service, 
and  was  swarming  with  armed  men,  came  up.  Just  then 
the  wind  died  away  to  a  calm,  and  it  became  evident 
that  the  cutter  could  not  be  handled  by  her  captors. 
It  \vas  decided  to  board  her,  and  I  manned  the  big  boat 
with  rifles  and  put  off. 

When  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  cutter,  we 
saw  three  boats  put  off,  and,  at  the  same  time,  flames 
coming  out  of  her  companion  way.  We  at  once  held 
back,  fearing  that  the  magazine  would  explode.     My 


BLOWING  UP  THK  "CALKB  CI'SHIXG."  79 

men  were  veiy  anxious  to  use  their  riiies  on  the  escap- 
ing privateers.  Capt.  George  \\'illard  was  in  the  bow, 
and  I  saw  him  leveling  his  gun  at  them,  saying  that 
he  "wanted  one."  I  ordered  him  to  stop,  pointing  to  a 
white  hankerchief  on  a  boat  hook,  sticking  up  in  the 
bow  of  the  nearest  boat,  and  telling  him  that  it  was  a 
flag  of  truce,  or  signal  of  surrender,  which  must  not  be 
fired  upon ;  but  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficult}-  that 
I  could  restrain  ni}^  men.  While  the  men  were  tum- 
bling over  the  ship's  side,  I  saw  Capt.  Albert  Bibber 
among  them.  The  "Forest  Cit}^"  picked  him  up, 
and  he  told  them  where  the  "Archer"  was.  The 
steamer  at  once  started  for  the  "Archer "  and  soon 
captured  her,  finding  Bob  Mullins,  a  Xew  Orleans 
Confederate,  in  charge. 

Blowing  i^p  thk  "Caleb  Cushing." — Meanwhile 
the  cutter  blew  up,  sinking  stern  first  in  thirtv-three 
fathoms  of  water.  After  sinking,  the  spars  came  up 
with  the  burnt  rigging  attached.  The  wreck  was  soon 
surrounded  by  the  steamers  "Forest  Cit}^"  and  "Ches- 
apeake," the  tugs  "  Uncle  vSam  "  and  "  Tiger,"  and  the 
fishing  schooner  "  E.  A.  Williams."  All  the  men  in 
the  boats  were  captured  and  landed  at  Fort  Preble, 
from  whence  they  were  transferred  to  Fort  Warren  in 
Boston  Harbor,  and  exchanged  some  sixteen  months 
later.  We  learned  from  them  tliat  they  onh-  found  one 
thirty-two  pound  shot  in  the  locker,  and  were  obliged 
to  load  afterwards  witli  spikes  and  old  iron  kettles, 
which  the}'  broke  up.  As  we  were  right  astern  of 
them,  they  failed  b}-  one  or  two  points  to  train  the 
gun  on  us.  Tlie  shot  that  came  nearest  to  us  fell 
short  about  twenty  vards. 

When  I  got  to  Custom  House  Wharf,  I  met  Lieu- 
tenant Davenport,  of  the  cutter,  wlio  wanted  a  gang  of 


8o  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

men  to  discharge  the  "i\rcher,"  as  what  goods  she  had 
were  going  to  the  Custom  House  for  storage ;  so  I  put 
a  gang  on  the  vessel.  My  partner,  Daniel  Gould,  also 
had  men  on  the  wharf  loading  truck  teams,  and  was 
directing  their  movements.  My  gang  found  about 
twenty-five  loaded  muskets  in  the  salt  room;  and,  on 
asking  the  lieutenant  what  disposition  to  make  of 
them,  we  were  told  to  put  them  on  the  port  side, 
muzzle  to  the  brake  of  the  quarter-deck.  In  discharg- 
ing the  "Archer,"  we  found  chests,  trunks,  valises, 
clothes-bags,  chronometers,  and  spy-glasses,  part  of  the 
plunder  of  ships  captured  by  the  privateers.  There 
was  a  great  deal  of  excitement  in  the  city,  many  threats 
were  made  against  the  prisoners,  and  the  wharves  were 
crowded  with  throngs  of  curious  people.  Lieutenant 
Davenport  placed  a  guard  alongside  the  vessel  to 
keep  strangers  from  going  on  board;  but,  still,  some 
slipped  b^-. 

Thp:  La:\ientable  Death  of  Daniel  Goi'ld. — 
While  my  men  were  busy  passing  thiugs  out  to  the 
wharf,  a  longshoreman,  named  John  Sidney,  slipped 
aboard  unnoticed  by  the  guard.  Wandering  about  to 
gratify  his  curiosity,  he  picked  up  a  musket  and  care- 
lessly cocked  it;  thinking,  as  so  man}-  foolish  men 
before  and  since  have  thought  under  similar  circum- 
stances, that  it  was  unloaded.  It  was  high  water  at 
the  time  and  the  vessel  was  level  with  the  wharf.  He 
pulled  the  trigger  and  discharged  the  musket,  the  ball 
entering  Mr.  Daniel  Gould's  thigh,  passing  through 
both  legs  and  seriously  wounding  a  man  near  b}^  Mr. 
Gould  was  at  once  taken  home  and  amputation  decided 
necessary  by  the  doctors.  He  died  under  the  knife  — 
the  only  man  who  lost  his  life  during  the  whole  affair 
of  the  "Gushing."  Sidney  was  arrested  and  put  in 
jail.     I  was  called  upon  by  the   city   marshal  to  give 


THK  LAMF.XTABLE  DEATH  OF  DANIEL  GOnj).    8 1 

111}'  opinion  of  the  shooting,  and  told  him  that  I  knew 
Sidne}'  well ;  that  the  man  had  worked  for  both  Air. 
Gould  and  myself;  that  he  was  of  kindly  disposition, 
and  that  I  was  convinced  that  the  discharge  of  the 
musket  was  purely  accidental.  So  the  man  was  dis- 
charged. Shortly  after  this  I  started  a  subscription 
paper  for  Mr.  Gould's  family.  I  collected  $850;  $200 
of  this  amount  came  from  Boston  through  Custom- 
House  Collector  Jewett.  I  was  sent  for  to  come  to  the 
Custom  House,  as  he  said  there  were  $200  he  wished 
me  to  receipt  for.  I  asked  him  whom  we  should  thank 
for  it,  and  he  said  that  the  parties  did  not  wish  to  be 
known.  A  small  house  and  lot  of  land  were  bought  at 
Simonton's  Cove,  of  Air.  John  Woodbury,  and  deeded 
to  Air.  Gould's  family.  Air.  Gould's  last  words  to  me 
were  to  look  out  for  his  famil}-.  I  told  him  that  I 
would,  and  I  have  done  so  faithfully. 

The  capture  and  recapture  of  the  "Cushing"  were 
among  the  most  notable  incidents  of  the  Civil  War; 
and  peculiarly  interesting  to  Portland  people  because, 
for  the  first  time,  those  at  home  were  brought  face  to 
face  with  armed  Confederates.  Nor  was  it  less  inter- 
esting to  the  South,  where  the  daring  though  unsuc- 
cessful attempt  to  enter  a  New  England  port  and  sur- 
prise its  shipping  was  regarded  as  an  heroic  exploit. 
We  looked  upon  it  as  a  piratical  undertaking.  The 
Southern  side  of  the  story,  though  in  all  essential  facts 
the  same  that  I  have  told,  has  an  interest  of  its  own  as 
coming  from  the  defeated  party  in  the  struggle.  It 
was  related  for  the  first  time  by  Robert  Hunt,  one  of 
the  crew  of  the  "Tacou^•,"  in  a  paper  read  in  tlic  fall 
of  1894  before  the  Confederates'  \^eteran  Association 
of  Savannah,  and  republished  in  the  ^Portland  'Press  of 
October  27th  in  the  same  3'ear. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  CONFEDERATE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CAPTURE  OF  THE  "CALEB 
CUSHING." MR.  hunt's  VIVACIOUS  STORY. HOW  THE  PRIVA- 
TEERS   STOLE    INTO    THE  HARBOR,  STOLE  OUT,  AND    WERE  CAUGHT 

WITH    THE    GOODS    IN    THEIR    POSSESSION. THE     FISH    CHOWDER 

ON    BOARD    THE      "ARCHER,"    AND    THE    HUMBLE    PIE    THE    PRIVA- 
TEERS   AFTERWARDS    ATE. 

^HE  Confederate  side  of  the  story  of  the  capture  and 
recapture  of  the  "  Caleb  Cushing,"  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  chapter  and  told  by  Mr.  Robert  Hunt,  is 
a  vivacious  narrative,  well  worth  repeating  in  this  con- 
nection. "One  night  in  June,"  says  Mr.  Hunt,  "the 
Confederate  cruiser  '  Tacony '  lay  becalmed  forty-five 
miles  from  Portland  Harbor.  We  had  been,"  he  adds, 
"for  several  days  burning  and  bonding  Yankee  mer- 
chantmen, and  now  among  the  fishermen,  several  of 
whom  we  had  captured  and  destroyed.  About  six  bells 
of  the  first  watch,  as  well  as  I  can  remember,  our  look- 
out reported  a  steamer  ahead ;  our  commander  came  on 
deck  and  after  scanning  the  steamer  with  his  glasses 
pronounced  her  a  Yankee  gunboat.  'Well,  bo3^s,'  he 
said,  '  I  guess  our  frolics  are  over,  but  we  must  tr}-  and 
fool  them.'  She  was  soon  in  hailing  distance  and  as 
she  hauled  up  her  commander  hailed  us  as  follows : 
'Bark  ahoy,  what  and  where  bound?'  to  which  Lieu- 
tenant Reed  answered:  'Bark  "  Mar}-  Jane"  from 
Sagua  La  Grande,  bound  to  Portland.'  The  captain 
of  the  gunboat  then  informed  us  that  there  was  a  Rebel 
privateer  cruising  along  the  coast  and  burning  mer- 
chantmen and  that  we  had  better  keep  a  sharp  lookout. 


MR.    HUNT'vS    vivacious    vSTORY.  83 

Lieutenant  Reed  thanked  him  and  he  steamed  awa}^  to 
the  southward.  What  a  narrow  escape;  we  were  all 
speechless ;  for  more  than  a  minute  not  a  word  was 
passed.  The  silence  was  broken  by  Reed,  whose  first 
words  were:  '  Boys,  we  have  had  a  close  call,  but  we 
are  still  on  deck.  It  is  getting  too  hot  for  us  in  this 
latitude,  we  must  change  the  programme.'  It  was 
pretty  generall}-  known  in  the  northern  and  eastern 
ports  that  mc  were  cruising  off  the  coast,  and  several 
gunboats  and  cutters  had  been  sent  out  in  search  of 
us.  Lieutenant  Reed  ordered  all  hands  aft  and  stated 
to  us  his  plans,  which  were  as  follows :  To  capture  a 
smart  schooner,  burn  the  'Tacon}^,'  go  into  Portland, 
burn  the  two  gunboats,  then  about  completed,  cap- 
ture one  of  the  Boston  steamers,  burn  the  revenue 
cutter,  put  to  sea,  make  for  southern  waters,  and  join 
the  'Florida.' 

"The  next  afternoon  we  captured  a  smart  looking 
little  fishing  schooner  called  the  'Archer.'  Her  crew 
were  just  about  sitting  down  to  a  nice  fish  supper.  Their 
captain  asked  us  to  join  them,  and  as  they  had  a  first- 
class  chowder,  besides  some  nice  sounds  and  tongues 
cooked  as  the}-  knew  how  to  cook  them,  we  accepted 
the  invitation.  After  dark  wc  transferred  one  six 
pounder,  and  such  other  articles  as  we  needed,  from 
the  'Tacony'  to  the  'Archer.'  We  then  set  fire  to  the 
'Tacony' and  stayed  b}-  her  until  she  burned  to  the 
water's  edge  and  sank.  Tlic  next  afternoon  wc  anchored 
off  Fish  Point  in  Portland  Harbor.  All  hands  were 
below  with  the  exception  of  a  few  knocking  about 
the  deck. 

"Those  below  were  employed  making  oakum  balls 
and  saturating  them  with  turpentine,  witli  which  to 
set  fire  to    the  gunboats.     At  the  last  moment,  when 


84  CAPTAIX    BEX'S    BOOK. 

ever3^thing  was  in  readiness  and  every  man  had  received 
his  instructions,  our  engineer,  Mr.  Brown,  informed 
Lieutenant  Reed  that  he  didn't  feel  competent  to  take 
charge  of  the  Boston  steamer's  engine.  Lieutenant 
Reed  then  decided  to  capture  the  United  States  revenue 
cutter  'Caleb  Gushing'  and  put  to  sea  again.  Two 
boats  were  manned,  and  were  soon  along-side  of  her 
and  hailed  by  the  lookout,  but  before  he  had  time  to 
hail  again  we  were  aboard  and  had  him  silenced.  In 
a  few  moments  we  had  the  entire  crew,  thirt^'-five  men, 
in  irons." 

The  privateers  made  their  wa}'  out  of  the  harbor 
to  Green  Island,  as  has  been  related.  There  they  were 
becalmed.  From  this  point  Mr.  Hunt  continues  his 
stor}^,  as  follows :  "  We  found  plent}-  of  powder  in 
the  magazine,  but  no  shot  or  shell.  The  cutter  had 
received  orders  the  day  before  to  get  ready  for  a  cruise 
in  search  of  the  'Tacon3\'  She  had  taken  aboard 
her  powder,  and  waited  for  the  next  day  to  take  in  her 
shot  and  shell;  so  we  were  informed  by  the  crew.  Our 
gunner  found  one  thirty-two-pound  shot  in  the  potato 
locker,  which  he  carried  on  deck.  Our  little  breeze 
died  away,  and  Reed  ordered  all  hands  below  to  get 
what  rest  they  could.  AVhile  I  was  looking  astern,  I 
saw  what  looked  to  be  a  steamer  coming  out,  and,  as  I 
thought,  heading  for  us.  I  called  Reed,  who  came 
on  deck,  and,  after  looking  at  her  awhile,  said  he 
guessed  it  was  the  Boston  steamer  bound  out.  He 
went  below  again,  telling  me  to  keep  my  eve  on  her. 
I  shortly  discovered  another  steamer  astern  of  her, 
also  coming  out,  and,  on  looking  through  the  glasses 
at  the  first  steamer,  saw  a  crowd  of  soldiers  on  the 
upper  deck.  I  immediateU'  called  our  commander, 
and,  on  his   reaching  the  deck  and  after  one  glance  at 


MR.    hunt's    VIVACIOU.S    STORY.  85 

the  steamers,  he  called  all  hands  to  clear  the  deck  for 
action.  The  thirtj'-two  pounder  was  loaded  ( it  was 
located  amidships),  and  the  order  given  to  put  the 
helm  down,  the  gunner  and  crew  in  the  meantime 
training  the  gun  to  get  a  range  on  the  steamer.  The 
cutter  would  not  mind  her  helm.  '  Hard  down.' 
shouted  Reed,  jumping  toward  the  helm.  '  Hard  down, 
it  is,'  I  answered.  '  O,  for  a  six-knot  breeze  and  a 
few  shot  or  shell,'  cried  Reed  ;  '  we  would  show  them 
some  fun  ! ' 

"  The  steamers  were  directly  in  our  wake,  and 
when  Reed  saw  that  we  could  not  get  an  effective  shot 
at  them,  he  said  :  '  We  will  give  them  a  scare  any- 
how ! '  The  gun  was  trained  as  far  aft  as  possible, 
and  the  order  given  to  fire.  When  the  smoke  cleared 
away,  both  steamers  were  broadside  to  as  if  turning 
back,  and  we  gave  a  yell  and  shouted,  '  Load  her  up 
again,'  but  we  had  nothing  to  load  her  with.  We  had 
plenty  of  powder,  but  nary  a  shot  or  shell.  Reed  at  once 
gave  orders  to  set  fire  to  the  cutter  and  abandon  her. 
The  prisoners  were  brought  on  deck,  put  in  two  boats, 
given  the  ke}^  to  their  irons,  and  turned  adrift.  I 
jumped  down  into  the  cabin  and  proceeded  to  break 
up  the  furniture  and  collect  the  bedding  to  set  on  fire. 
When  the  order  was  given  to  set  lire,  I  struck  a  match 
and  in  an  instant  the  whole  cabin  was  on  fire.  I 
rushed  for  the  companion  wa}-,  and  when  I  reached 
the  deck  I  was  prett}-  badly  scorched,  eyebrows,  lashes, 
and  nuislache  singed,  and  face  and  hands  prett\-  well 
blistered.  At  this  time  all  hands  were  in  the  boats, 
with  the  exception  of  the  gunner  and  m3^self.  He  had 
gathered  up  a  lot  of  scrap  iron,  nails,  spikes,  etc.,  with 
which  he  had  loaded  the  gun  for  a  ])arting  shot. 

"Although  the   steamers  were  dead  astern  and  not 


86  CAPTAIN    BEnVs    book. 

within  three  or  four  points  of  the  range  of  the  gun, 
they  both  stopped  when  the  last  shot  was  fired.  We 
pulled  away  from  the  cutter  and  lay  on  our  oars,  know- 
ing that  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  get  away.  Reed 
ordered  us  to  throw  our  arms  overboard,  and  every 
man  stood  up  in  the  boats,  unbuckled  their  belts,  to 
which  were  attached  our  revolvers  and  cutlasses,  and 
dropped  them  over  the  sides,  and,  I  suppose,  they  are 
still  lying  at  the  bottom  of  Portland  Bay.  Reed  then 
produced  a  shot  bag  of  specie,  which  he  divided  among 
us.  Our  next  act  was  to  tie  a  white  handkerchief  to 
our  boot  hook  and  await  our  fate.  The  first  steamer 
had  been  steering  directly  for  us  from  the  time  that 
we  abandoned  the  cutter.  The  other  stopped  to  pick 
up  the  crew  of  the  cutter.  We  noticed  that  when  the 
first  steamer  got  near  us,  a  detachment  of  soldiers  on 
the  upper  deck  had  their  muskets  aimed  directl}'  at  us 
as  if  about  to  fire,  but  an  officer  sprang  in  front  of 
them,  with  a  drawn  sword,  and  they  at  once  came  to  a 
shoulder.  We  were  ordered  along-side,  a  rope  was 
thrown  to  us,  and  we  were  taken  on  board.  One  man 
at  a  time  was  allowed  to  come  over  the  side.  He  was 
searched,  and  then  his  arms  tied  behind  his  back 
with  a  piece  of  rattling  stuff,  and  placed  under  guard 
before  another  was  taken  on  board.  There  M^ere  not 
less  than  three  hundred  soldiers  and  armed  citizens 
aboard  the  boat." 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE      WRECK      OF     THE     "BOHEMIAN." SCENES     AND     INCIDENTS     OF 

THAT     MEMORABLE     DISASTER. HOW      IHE    ILL-FATED    SIEA.MER 

WENT     ASHORE. A     NOTABLE     CAMPAIGN     ORATOR     AMONG      THE 

SURVIVORS. FISHING    UP    CASES    OF    GOODS. MR.    FARMER,   CAP- 
TAIN sar(;ent,   and    ihe  cook  stoviu — the  diver   who    IODK 

A    NAP    AT     IHE    BOTTOM    OF     IHE    SEA. 

/^^N  the  morning  of  February  23,  1864,  the  people  of 
Portland  were  startled  by  the  news  of  the  wreck 
of  the  steamer  "Bohemian,"  lost  on  the  Cape  h^lizabeth 
shore  early  the  night  before.  The  "Bohemian,"  Cap- 
tain Bolan,  was  one  of  the  Montreal  Ocean  Line,  run- 
ning between  Liverpool  and  Portland  —  a  Clyde  built, 
iron-screw  steamer,  about  five  years  old.  She  was  not 
accounted  a  fast  vessel,  Init  had  often  been  tested  bv 
adverse  winds  and  rough  weather  and  found  staunch. 
She  left  Liverpool  on  the  4th  of  Februarv  with  two 
hundred  and  eighteen  passengers  and  a  crew  consisting 
of  ninety-nine  men.  Her  passage  was  tedious  and  she 
was  some  days  overdue.  On  the  night  of  Februarv 
22d  she  was  running  slowl}^,  and  feeling  her  wav  into 
the  harbor,  when,  about  eight  o'clock,  she  struck  on 
Alden's  Rock,  just  as  the  watch  was  being  changed. 
She  was  headed  for  the  shore,  but  began  to  sink,  and 
the  boats,  six  in  number  (each  capable  of  holding  six- 
ty-five persons),  were  launched.  All  reached  the  shore 
in  safety  except  boat  No.  2,  which  was  swamped  while 
being  launched.  By  this  mishap  fort\-two  lives  were 
lost.  Among  the  passengers  who  escaped  was  an  Irisli 
lad  on  his  wav  to  make  his  fortune  in  the  New  World. 


88  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

He  is  now  widely  known  as  the  Hon.  John  E.  Fitz- 
gerald, of  Boston,  a  politician  and  popular  campaign 
orator.  Though  his  first  reception  on  these  shores 
was  of  the  roughest,  America  has  since  made  amends 
b}^  the  brilliant  career  she  has  offered  to  him.  I  was 
out  in  my  pilot  boat,  "Nettle,"  looking  for  the  ship  for 
about  five  days,  having  with  me  Mr.  Henry  P.  Miller, 
of  Simonton's  Cove.  The  day  of  the  wreck  I  was  off 
about  ten  miles  from  Portland  Head.  There  was  a 
light  east  wind  and  it  was  raining.  I  spoke  tM^o  brigs, 
but  thev  did  not  wish  to  take  a  pilot.  We  could  then 
see  three  or  four  miles  distant.  I  stayed  in  that  local- 
ity until  late  in  the  afternoon.  As  the  fog  began  to 
shut  in  I  ran  in  for  Portland  Light.  About  six  in  the 
afternoon  the  wind  died  away,  it  became  calm,  and  I 
anchored  a  mile  southeast  of  Portland  Head  to  hold 
my  position.  Thick  fog  hung  over  us  and  quite  a 
swell  was  rolling  in  from  the  east.  Mr.  Miller  had  the 
first  watch,  from  8  to  12  P.ivi.  Between  eight  and  nine 
o'clock  he  called  me  and  said  that  he  heard  a  gun.  I 
went  on  deck  and  asked  him  in  what  direction.  He 
pointed,  and  I  looked  at  the  compass  and  said  to  him 
that  it  was  in  range  of  the  Cape.  I  thought  it  could 
not  be  the  ship  in  that  direction.  Asking  him  if  the 
gun  sounded  loud,  he  said  that  it  was  too  loud  for 
a  musket;  and  I  told  him  if  it  was  the  ship  we  would 
hear  another  gun  in  a  few  minutes.  We  listened  a 
long  time,  but  heard  no  other,  and  made  up  our  minds 
that  they  were  celebrating  on  board  some  vessel,  as  it 
was  W^ashington's  birthday. 

How  We  Heard  of  the  Wreck. — At  midnight 
it  was  my  watch  on  deck.  About  two  in  the  morning 
I  heard  a  steamer  coming  out  of  the  harbor,  blowing 
her  whistle.     I  blew  the  fog  horn,  so  that  the  steamer 


HOW    WE    HEARD    OF    THE    WRECK.  89 

would  not  run  me  clown.  As  she  came  nearer,  I  blew 
oftener.  When  near  they  hailed  me  and  wanted  to 
know  if  it  was  the  pilot  boat.  I  recognized  my  broth- 
er's voice,  and  knew  it  was  the  steam  tug  "Uncle  Sam." 
When  near  me  ni}^  brother  said  that  the  steamship 
"Bohemian"  was  ashore  on  Broad  Cove  Rocks,  and  he 
wished  me  to  go  out  with  him.  Some  of  the  passen- 
gers were  lost,  he  said.  I  took  my  boat,  fog  horn,  and 
sounding-line  and  went  aboard  the  tug,  leaving  Mr. 
Miller  on  board  the  pilot  boat  with  orders  to  come  out 
when  the  fog  cleared  and  the  wind  breezed  up.  When 
on  board  the  tug,  I  found  the  lieutenant  of  the  cutter 
with  his  crew  and  boat  in  tow.  Aiter  steaming  a  while 
I  told  him  that  he  was  running  broad  off  and  if  he 
would  stop  I  would  take  the  boat  and  row  to  Broad 
Cove  Rock.  The  lieutenant  said  that  he  would  like  to 
follow  me;  so  I  told  him  to  take  a  sounding-line,  as  it 
would  not  do  to  get  inside  of  six  fathoms  of  water- 
After  rowing  for  eight  or  ten  minutes  we  were  along- 
side Trundy's  Reef  buo}-.  The  lieutenant  thought 
that  was  straight  going  without  having  an\'  compass 
in  the  boat.  I  told  him  that  we  must  row  outside  of 
Broad  Cove  Rock  and  back  in  and  sound  as  we  went. 
We  could  hear  the  breakers  on  the  rocks  as  we  were 
backing  in.  We  got  as  near  to  the  breakers  as  we 
dared ;  and  at  that  time  I  heard  an  iron  door  slam  to 
the  southwest,  and  said  to  the  lieutenant  that  the 
"Bohemian"  was  not  on  the  rock,  but  on  the  main- 
laud.  Every  time  my  brother  l^lew  his  whistle  on  tlie 
tug  I  blew  the  liorn,  so  he  could  keep  on  the  outside 
of  me. 

OrR  First  vSiciit  ok  thi-:  "Bohi'.miax.'' — \\'lien 
we  got  to  the  ship  it  was  the  liardest  sight  that  I  had 
ever  looked  at.     We   found   Captain   Bolan\s  boat  and 


90  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

crew.  He  seemed  to  be  completely  prostrated  over  the 
loss  of  his  ship  and  the  passengers.  When  we  got  to 
the  ship  all  of  the  passengers  not  lost  were  on  shore. 
I  learned  that  day  from  the  chief  officer  that  they  were 
running  in  a  west  course,  and  intended  running  a  half- 
hour  longer.  Then  they  were  going  to  sound  and  then 
fire  a  gun.  At  that  moment  the}-  saw  faintly  through 
the  fog  the  two  light-houses  and  knew  it  was  the  Cape 
by  the  revolving  light.  W^hen  made  thev  were  off  the 
starboard  beam.  If  the}-  had  not  seen  the  lights  in 
the  course  the\^  were  going,  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
the  ship  would  have  run  on  Richmond  Island,  or  Watts 
Ledge,  at  full  speed.  It  was  said  that  the  Boston  boat 
sighted  the  "Bohemian"  at  the  south  of  the  Two 
Lights  on  her  trip  out.  The  chief  officer  said  that 
after  the}'  had  turned  around  they  steered  northeast  to 
run  down  by  the  Cape,  After  running  a  while  the  ship 
struck  on  the  bottom  twice  ver^-  heavily.  It  was  soon 
found  that  she  was  making  water.  The  helm  was  at 
once  ordered  to  starboard.  Evidentlv  the  ship  was 
turning  short  of  Broad  Cove  Rock.  After  the  engine 
was  stopped  by  the  water  coming  up,  the  ship  was 
anchored  and  orders  given  to  fire  the  starboard  gun. 
Before  the  port  gun  could  be  reached  it  w^as  under 
water.  That  is  the  reason  we  only  heard  one  gun  in 
the  pilot  boat.  The  ship  sank  in  six  fathoms  of  water. 
If  she  had  gone  two  ships'  length  ahead  she  would 
have  sunk  in  ten  fathoms,  where  most  ever}-  one  would 
have  been  lost. 

The  "Bohemian"  Goes  to  Pieces.  —  Mr.  J.  S. 
Miller  was  a  passenger  on  the  ship.  He  was  the  first 
to  arrive  in  the  city  and  give  the  sad  news.  Captain 
Barclay  was  put  in  charge  of  the  ship,  and  divers  w^ere 
employed.      A   wrecking   company,   engaged   to    raise 


THE    "BOHEMIAN"    GOES    TO    PIECES.  91 

her,  said  the}-  could  box  up  the  hatches,  pump  her  out, 
and  take  her  and  her  cargo  to  the  city.  Mr.  Alvin 
Neal,  m3'self,  and  others  fished  up  a  large  number  of 
passengers,  and  bags  of  mail  near  the  starboard  main 
gangway  that  were  washed  overboard  from  the  steer- 
age deck  when  the  ship  sank.  Mr.  J.  L.  Farmer 
thought  as  the  ship  was  heading  southeast  and  the 
topmast  sent  down  she  would  lay  eas}-  so  she  could  be 
pumped  out  in  a  few  da^^s.  I  told  him  that  the  first 
storm  that  came  would  break  her  up  in  a  few  hours. 
The  ship  la}'  there  eleven  days  in  perfectly  smooth 
water,  something  never  known  before  or  since  during 
the  winter  months.  The  wreckers  kept  at  work  boxing 
up  the  hatches.  When  about  ready  to  use  the  pumps, 
there  came  an  easterly  gale.  The  ship  went  to  pieces 
in  a  short  time,  and  her  cargo  was  scattered  all  over 
the  Cape  shore.  The  lighters  could  have  taken  all  the 
bale  goods  out  of  the  ship  during  that  smooth  weather, 
before  the  gale  came.  The  morning  after  the  gale  the 
wind  veered  to  the  north.  I  got  two  extra  men,  put  a 
tackle  to  the  mast-head,  and  sailed  out  by  the  Cape, 
thinking  that  the  current  would  take  .some  of  the  cargo 
out  that  way.  After  passing  the  Cape  I  found  the  tide 
streak  running  about  south  southwest.  When  about 
eight  miles  from  the  Cape  I  began  to  get  in  wreckage, 
and  some  large  cases  of  dry  goods  washing  level  with 
the  water.  The  first  case  I  got  to  I  put  on  box  hooks. 
When  hoisted  nearly  out  of  the  water  the  goods  in  it 
were  so  heavy  the  bottom  came  out,  and  I  lost  all  of 
the  contents.  Going  a  little  farther  along  in  the  tide 
streak  I  found  another  case.  I  put  rope  slings  on  and 
hoisted  it  on  deck.  In  uioving  along  the  streak  we 
found  these  cases  quite  plenty.  Having  a  small  crew, 
it  was  hard,  slow  work  getting  them  on  board.      As  I 


92  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

looked  towards  Wood  Island  I  saw  several  fishing 
schooners  standing  out  in  the  tide  streak,  some  two 
miles  to  the  south  of  me.  In  a  short  time  thej^  had  all 
their  boats  out,  probabl}^  towing  cases  to  the  schooners, 
to  be  hoisted  on  board.  About  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  the  wind  died  away  so  I  could  not  follow  up 
the  tide  streak.  I  could  see  the  small  boats  apparently 
busy,  to  the  south  of  me,  until  sunset.  I  had  my  pilot 
boat  deck  about  full  of  cases,  and  I  started  for  home. 
The  wind  being  light  and  ahead,  we  arriv^ed  home  the 
next  day  about  noon. 

The  Advantage  of  Knowing  Mr.  Farmer. — 
I  reported  to  Mr.  J.  L.  Farmer  what  I  had  picked  up 
eight  or  ten  miles  to  sea.  He  told  me  to  put  them 
into  the  Grand  Trunk  sheds.  I  asked  him  if  he  would 
receipt  for  them.  He  said  no,  but  told  me  to  put  them 
into  the  shed  and  they  would  be  all  right ;  but  that 
did  not  suit  me,  as  I  knew  Mr.  Farmer.  I  called  on 
Captain  Sargent,  the  Custom  House  boarding  officer, 
and  told  him  that  I  had  seen  Mr.  Farmer  and  he  would 
not  receipt  for  the  goods.  Captain  Sargent  said  he 
could  not  sign  for  them. 

I  told  him  the  steamship  "St.  George"  was  due 
here  that  night  to  take  the  mails  to  Liverpool,  in  the 
place  of  the  ship  "  Bohemian,"  and  when  she  came  in 
my  boat  would  be  back  with  the  goods.  I  lashed  them 
so  they  would  be  safe  in  case  of  rough  weather,  went 
out  for  the  ship  "  St.  George,"  and  got  her  about  mid- 
night. In  the  morning  my  boat  came  in.  On  seeing 
Captain  Sargent  he  told  me  that  after  I  Avent  outside, 
Mr.  Farmer  called  on  him  and  wished  him  to  send  the 
cutter  out  and  get  the  goods  that  Captain  Willard  had 
taken  in  his  pilot  boat,  as  he  thought  that  the  heat  from 
the  cook  stove  would  injure  them.     Captain  Sargent 


ASLEEP    OX    THE    BOTTOM    OF    THE   vSEA.  93 

told  him  that  he  saw  Willard  before  he  went  out,  and 
the  boat  would  be  in  b}-  morning  as  the  steamer  was 
due  here  that  evening.  \\'hen  the  boat  arrived  I  put 
the  goods  in  charge  of  the  United  States  Alarshal,  and 
they  were  discharged  at  Portland  Pier,  at  E.  Churchill's 
Iron  Block. 

Many  fishermen  put  their  goods  into  the  Grand 
Trunk  Railroad  sheds.  I  learned  the^-  did  not  get  one 
cent  salvage  for  them.  When  the  matter  was  settled, 
my  part  and  the  pilot  boat  netted  me  SSoo,  and  my 
crew  made  good  day  pay,  as  their  shares  were  fixed  as 
law  fixes  such  cases.  After  that  a  wrecking  companj- 
from  vSt.  John,  N.  B.,  was  hired  to  save  the  cargo  on 
percentage,  I  learned.  I  was  there  often,  when  out 
looking  for  jobs,  to  see  the  divers  work. 

AsEEEP  ox  THE  Botto:m  of  THE  Sea. — One  day 
the  diver  went  down  and  sent  up  several  slings  of  pig 
iron.  After  that  the  man  attending  the  life-line  got 
no  signal,  but  did  not  dare  to  pull  up  for  fear  of  foul- 
ing the  diver  in  the  wreck.  Mr.  Dennis,  the  boss, 
thought  something  was  wrong,  so  he  hurriedly  put  on 
his  suit,  started  another  air-pump,  and  went  down  and 
gave  signals  to  haul  up  the  diver.  Tlie  men  in  the 
boat  felt  that  something  must  be  wrong,  and  when  they 
got  him  up  to  the  boat  and  took  off  his  face-piece  he 
waked  up.  He  had  fallen  asleep,  and  as  the  air-pumps 
were  going  he  got  a  comfortable  nap  down  on  the 
bottom  of  the  sea.  Some  said  he  was  out  late  the 
night  before,  and  it  was  hinted  that  he  occasional Iv 
took  strong  tea. 


ONE    OF   SPOT'S   TRICKS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DEEP-SEA    FISHING. THE    NERVfWS    MAN    AND    HIS    GUN. CAPTURING 

A    DUSK.V    SHARK. THE     ADVENTURE    OF     THE    SCOTCHMAN     AND 

THE    WHALE. MV    TRAINED      PETS,    THE     COACH    DOG     AND     THE 

CE;DAR    BIRD. 

^HE  season  of  1864  was  good  for  deep-sea  fishing. 
We  got  three  or  four  sword-lish  and  one  blackfish. 
While  out  looking  for  ships  I  could  see  where  the 
game  was  bedded  thick,  and  would  make  up  a  party 
of  friends  to  enjoy  the  sport.  One  of  these  parties 
consisted  of  George  Trefethen,  Charles,  Henrv,  and 
Alpheus  Sterling,  m3^self,  and  Mr.  J.,  one  of  the  most 
excitable  men  I  ever  knew.  On  this  account  we  gave 
him  the  front  berth.  His  weapon  was  a  double-barreled 
shot  gun,  muzzle  loader,  such  as  we  all  used  in  those 
days.  Sometimes  he  would  get  two  charges  of  shot  in 
one  barrel  and  two  of  powder  in  the  other,  so  that  the 
first  would  not  go  off  and  the  second  would  not  kill. 
At  Half  Way  Rock  there  was  plent}^  of  game,  no  light- 
house being  there  to  frighten  it  off.  Frequently  when 
out  for  ships  I  have  seen  gunners  there  when  the 
mercury  would  be  twelve  below  zero,  and  have  carried 
hot  coffee  ashore  to  them  —  a  much  more  comforting 
drink  on  a  cold  morning  than  vSebago.  On  the  fishing 
trips  I  had  ver}-  good  luck,  striking  some  big  game,  but 
never  was  it  my  fortune  to  find  the  much-talkcd-of  sea 
serpent,  whicli  has  been  so  frequenth'  seen,  under 
favorable  conditions,  b\-  excited  sportsmen  and  tourists 
on  the  Cape  Pvlizabeth  shore.  Once,  however,  I  sailed 
many  miles  for  him,  as  I  will  presently  relate. 


CAPTURING    A    Dl\SKY    SHARK.  97 

Capturing  a  Dusky  Shark. — During  the  summer 
of  1864  I  took  a  part}'  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  on  a 
deep-sea-fishing  trip,  when  we  struck  bigger  game  than 
we  had  counted  on.  We  hove  to  on  Rock  Cod  Ledge, 
where  we  found  the  cod-fish  quite  plenty.  The  da}' 
was  delightful,  the  water  perfectly  smooth,  and  nobody 
seasick.  After  dinner  we  stood  off  shore  some  ten  or 
twelve  miles,  hoping  to  see  a  sword-fish ;  but  meeting 
with  no  luck  started  for  home.  On  the  way  back  I 
saw  a  ripple  from  the  fin  of  a  big  fish,  and  tacked  round 
and  ran  for  him.  The  fin  did  not  show  enough  to  indi- 
cate his  species.  As  we  got  near  he  began  to  sink 
slowly  in  the  water,  so  I  hastened  to  use  the  harpoon, 
striking  him  solid  before  its  staff  was  out  of  sight. 
Then  I  gave  him  a  hundred  fathoms  of  line  with  a  half 
barrel  tied  on  the  end,  and  sailed  around  for  a  short 
time  in  search  of  other  fish.  Finding  none  I  took  my 
boat  with  one  of  the  crew,  picked  up  the  barrel,  and 
pulled  in  the  fish.  The  line  was  coiled  carefully  in  a 
tub  so  as  to  run  clear  in  case  he  proved  game.  Sev- 
eral times  we  got  him  near  the  boat,  and  then  he  would 
make  for  the  bottom.  By  his  action  I  judged  he  was 
a  sword-fish.  When  he  grew  tired  we  pulled  him  to 
the  boat,  and  to  my  great  astonishment  he  proved  a  big, 
man-eating  shark.  Then  I  tried  to  get  my  harpoon 
out  and  let  him  go,  having  no  fancy  to  bother  with  the 
creature;  but  it  was  in  too  deep.  I  would  not  cut  the 
line,  for  it  was  my  favorite  harpoon  and  rarely  failed 
me.  When  he  was  got  along-side  the  pilot  boat  all 
the  sails  were  lowered  in  order  that  the  halyards  might 
be  used  to  hoist  him  in  with.  We  got  slings  on  him, 
but  he  slipped  out,  and  I  jumped  for  the  lance.  While 
lancing  him  the  blood  colored  the  water  all  about,  and 
one  of  the  ladies  seized  me  by  the  arm  and  exclaimed, 
"Oh,  captain!     Don't!     You  will  hurt  him  !  " 


HEAD    TRICK. 


THE    SCOTCHMAN    AND    THE    WHALE.  99 

I  told  her  I  guessed  she  had  never  been  out 
a-sharking  before. 

When  the  fish  became  quiet  we  hoisted  him  on 
deck.  He  listed  the  boat  a  foot  or  more.  He  meas- 
ured twelve  feet  in  length,  girt  seven,  his  liver  filled  a 
barrel,  and  he  had  seven  rows  of  teeth  —  the  outside 
ones  ver}'  large  and  about  two  inches  long. 

The  shark  was  put  on  exhibition  in  a  fish  market 
for  two  days,  and  a  large  number  of  people  called  to 
see  it.  Mr.  Charles  Fuller,  the  naturalist,  said  that 
it  was  a  dusky  shark,  whose  habit  is  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
It  was  the  only  one  ever  captured  on  this  coast.  iVfter 
we  were  done  exhibiting  it  we  gave  it  as  a  present  to 
the  Portland  Natural  History  Society  to  be  mounted. 
It  was  burned  at  the  time  of  the  big  fire. 

In  the  summer  of  1865  we  went  on  a  sword-fishing 
trip  off  Monhegan  Psland.  The  following  comprised 
the  party:  Mr,  Lemuel  Gushing,  owner  of  Cushing's 
Island;  Edward  Bicknell,  Salem,  Mass.;  Edward 
Keene,  John  Bradford,  Capt.  J.  Blake,  and  otliers. 
We  captured  seven  sword-fish  and  one  shark  and  were 
three  da3'S  on  the  trip.  On  another  sword-fishing  trip, 
a  few  days  later,  were  the  following  party :  John  H. 
Fogg,  Lemuel  Gushing,  Edward  Keene,  Gapt.  James 
Blake,  and  four  others.  We  captured  thirteen  sword- 
fish,  on  a  three  and  a  half  days'  trip. 

In  August,  1865, 1  went  to  Portsmouth  to  pilot  the 
United  States  monitor  "  Dictator,"  Admiral  Farragut 
and  Gommodore  Bailey-.  The  Ihiited  States  monitor 
"  Agamenticus  "  accouipanied  her  to  Portland.  The  two 
monitors  had  a  sharp  race  from  Portsmouth  to  Port- 
land, the  "Dictator"  being  beaten  about  two  miles, 
owing  to  her  bearings  heating  up. 

Thi-:  Scotchman  and  the  Whale. — About  this 


CAPTAIN    WILLARD    AND    HIS    DOG    SPOT. 


THE    vSCOTCHMAN    AND    THE    WHALE.  lOI 

time  a  Scotch  whaler  was  introduced  to  me  who  wished 
to  go  out.  He  had  been  on  several  trips  in  a  New 
Bedford  whaler,  and  said  that  he  could  put  me  on  to  a 
whale.  I  told  him  if  he  could  I  would  do  the  harpoon- 
ing. The  first  day  we  saw  nothing.  It  blew  up  to 
the  south  and  we  harbored  at  Wood  Island  for  the 
night.  In  the  morning  we  stood  out  towards  Jeffery's 
Bank.  We  caught  all  the  cod  and  mackerel  we 
wanted,  and  soon  saw  a  whale.  The  boat  was  manned 
and  supplied  with  implements,  provisions,  and  water. 
When  we  got  near  to  the  whale,  he  came  up  and  blowed 
and  went  down  to  sound.  The  crew  were  ordered  to 
peak  their  oars  and  wait  until  he  came  up  again.  The 
Scotchman  thought  the  whale  like  a  sperm  whale, 
which  would  come  up  Avhere  he  went  down  ;  but  when 
he  came  up  he  was  a  good  half-mile  distant.  We  were 
rowing  nearly  all  of  the  forenoon,  and  I  did  not  see  that 
my  Scotch  friend  could  get  any  nearer  the  whale  than  I 
could.  About  noon  it  breezed  up  to  the  south,  so  we 
abandoned  the  chase  and  went  aboard  to  dinner.  After 
dinner  we  resumed  the  pursuit  in  the  "Nettle"  and 
saw  a  school  of  blackfish  four  or  five  miles  in  length. 
W^e  ran  for  them,  but  before  reaching  the  spot  saw  a 
large  whale,  which  seemed  to  be  bothered  by  the  man}- 
fish  about  him.  .  He  stayed  on  top  of  the  water  most 
of  the  time.  It  seemed  a  good  chance  to  iron  him 
before  he  saw  us,  but  before  we  got  near  enough  he 
took  the  alarm  and  got  out  of  the  wa}-.  However,  I 
had  the  good  fortune  to  harpoon  a  blackfish  crossing 
the  bow. 

Prescntl}'  we  sighted  another  whale.  I  had  on 
board  a  whale  gun  to  shoot  explosive  lances.  The 
barrel  was  made  by  Charles  E.  Staples  <S:  vSon,  Com- 
mercial vStreet,  and  it  was  stocked  b}-  Gilbert  L.  Baile}-, 


MV    TRAINKD    PETS.  IO3 

Middle  Street,  When  using  a  harpoon  or  gun  I  would 
stand  on  the  end  of  the  bowsprit  with  a  line  around 
my  body  and  jibstay  so  as  not  to  lose  my  balance.  A 
short  line  was  attached  to  the  gun  so  it  should  not  be 
lost  overboard.  This  time  we  could  not  get  close 
enough  to  the  whale  to  blow  him  up,  and,  as  the  water 
was  growing  rough,  abandoned  the  attempt.  I  passed 
the  gun  over  to  the  Scotchman,  but  he  lost  his  balance 
as  he  grasped  it,  and  tumbled  overboard  with  the 
weapon  in  his  hand.  Fortunately  he  caught  hold  of 
the  whale  line,  though  in  so  doing  he  was  forced  to 
drop  the  gun,  and  Mr.  \\  illiani  Taylor  grasped  him  by 
the  collar  as  soon  as  his  head  was  out  of  the  water. 
When  we  pulled  him  aboard  the  first  words  he  said 
were : 

"Captain,  I   have  lost  3'our  gun,  and  I  am  sorr}-." 

I  told  him  that  I  didn't  mind  the  gun  as  long  as 
we  had  got  him.  He  was  the  coolest  man  I  ever  saw 
go  overboard,  and  a  comical  fellow,  too,  always  sa^-ing 
quaint  things  that  kept  the  company  in  a  merry  mood. 
Among  the  party  who  witnessed  his  mishap  were  W. 
Taylor,  Edward  Bicknell,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  Benjamin 
W.  Nason  and  George  H.  Estes,  of  Durham,  Me.,  and 
Capt.  James  Blake. 

August  and  September,  1865,  were  fine  months  for 
mackereliug.  I  went  on  several  trips,  taking  on  the 
first  occasion  Messrs.  Charles  J.  Pennell,  Edward  Bick- 
nell, Edward  Keene,  Capt.  James  Blake,  B.  F.  Willard, 
and  one  or  two  others  whose  names  I  do  not  now  recall. 
The  mackerel  were  large  and  fat,  and  I  salted  enough 
to  last  my  family  all  winter. 

!^Iv  Tratxki)  Phts.  —  In  the  s])riug  of  1866  the 
captain  of  a  British  brig,  loaded  witli  molasses  from 
Matanzas,  l)rought  1)ack   with   hiui  a  l)lack   and  white 


Dug  and  bird  trick. 


SPOT    SPELLING    HIS    NAME. 


To6  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

Spotted,  full-blooded  Spanish  coach  pup  as  a  pet  for  his 
children,  who  were  on  board.  Not  wishing  to  take  the 
dog  across  to  England  he  gave  him  to  me,  and  I  put 
him  in  charge  of  O.  B.  Muller  for  training  during  the 
summer  while  I  was  j^achting.  The  pup  was  quick  to 
learn  and  of  a  most  docile  disposition.  Muller  taught 
him  seven  tricks.  Then  I  took  him  in  the  fall  and 
kept  on  training  him  until  he  could  perform  fift^^-five. 
I  treated  him  kindly  and  never  had  to  whip  him.  I 
taught  him  in  six  evenings,  without  a  motion  of  the 
whip,  to  spell  his  name  by  taking  the  letters  out  of  the 
alphabet.  Calling  the  letter  I  wanted,  he  would  take 
it  out  of  the  row  and  bring  it  to  me,  and  never  make  a 
mistake.  When  I  left  the  cit}^  for  eight  or  ten  days  I 
would  tell  him  to  stay  with  Mr.  Muller,  and  he  was 
never  known  to  go  upstairs  to  ni}-  room  while  I  was 
away.  I  could  send  him  with  any  stranger  b}^  telling 
him  to  go,  and  had  no  trouble  in  taking  him  to  a  pho- 
tograph gallery,  where  he  was  pictured  doing  all  his 
tricks  on  the  first  trial. 

A  friend  of  mine  gave  me  a  native  cedar  bird, 
commonly  called  a  cherry  bird.  I  took  him  out  of  the 
cage  and  trained  him  in  twenty  minutes  to  stand  still 
on  the  dog's  head  and  eat  sugar  out  of  my  hand.  Mr. 
Edward  Woodbury,  of  Cape  Elizabeth,  was  present  at 
the  time.  Finally  I  had  a  cap  and  perch  made  to  fit 
the  dog's  head,  with  an  elastic  underneath  his  chin  to 
hold  it,  so  the  bird  could  stand  firm  on  the  perch  while 
the  clog  w^as  performing.  But  one  thing  that  I  could 
never  teach  him  to  do  was  to  fl}-  from  the  dog's  head 
to  his  cage.  I  suppose  that  he  did  not  exercise  his 
wings  enough  to  strengthen  them.  The  dog  never 
offered  to  harm  the  bird.  They  seemed  to  be  happy  in 
performing  together.     They  were  both  trained  by  kind 


DOG    AND    BIRD    TRICK. 


CHAIR    TRICK. 


MY    TRAINED    PETS.  IO9 

treatment.  I  had  the  bird  three  or  four  3'ears,  and  he 
died  and  I  had  him  mounted  and  put  into  my  cabinet 
with  my  other  curiosities. 

I  have  been  offered  large  sums  of  monej^  for  the 
dog,  one  man  in  Toronto,  Canada,  offering  me  $500. 
I  told  him  that  was  worth  five  hundred  dogs,  but  I  was 
so  attached  to  my  pet  I  could  not  think  of  selling  him. 
After  seeing  the  dog  perform,  the  Toronto  man  said 
probably  he  would  not  do  it  for  anybod}'  else.  Though 
never  having  tried  it,  I  thought  the  dog  would.  I 
told  my  visitor  to  take  my  whip,  and  stood  behind 
him  and  instructed  him  what  to  do;  telling  him  to 
drag  the  whip  on  the  floor,  walk  back  slowly,  call  the 
dog  by  name,  and  tell  him  to  creep.  The  dog  did  so 
immediately.  Then  the  whip  was  swung  cross-way 
and  the  dog  told  to  sit  up.  He  did  so  at  once.  ]\Iany 
other  tricks  were  also  performed,  much  to  the  Cana- 
dian man's  delight.  After  having  the  dog  fifteen  vears, 
he  became  blind,  and  I  got  Doctor  Bailey  to  chloroform 
him.  I  had  him  buried  on  my  lot  in  the  cemetery  at 
Cape  Elizabeth,  with  a  fifty-dollar  head-stone  on  which 
he  is  carved  in  the  act  of  performing  one  of  his  tricks. 
The  accompanying  illustrations  will  convey  a  good 
idea  of  the  dog  and  bird  while  going  through  some  of 
their  performances. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A    WHALE    IN     THE    HARBOR. THE     SEVEN-TON    BLACKFISH. HOW    A 

HAYSEED     SPOILED      HIS      LINEN      TROUSERS. APPEARANCE     AND 

HABITS    OF    THE    BLACKFISH. A    LIVELY     FKJHT     WITH    A     SW(JRD- 

FISH. THE    SUMMER    OF    1867. 

TN  Jul}^  1866,  an  unexpected  visitor,  a  whale,  came 
into  the  harbor.  As  soon  as  I  received  the  news  I 
got  the  following  men:  A.  Taylor,  Chas.  Harris,  John 
Shaw,  C.  Burns,  and  A.  H.  Mantine.  We  w^ent  to  the 
pilot  boat  "  Nettle,"  got  whale  line,  harpoons,  lances, 
and  whale  gun  to  shoot  bomb  lances  and  blow  him  up 
if  we  could  not  get  near  enough  to  harpoon.  We 
started  out  and  struck  him  once,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
the  harpoon  drew  out.  Then  we  loaded  the  whale  gun. 
We  were  near  Vaughau's  Bridge,  which  was  full  of 
teams  and  people,  while  all  the  shores  were  filled  with 
anxious  spectators.  Shortly  he  came  up  to  blow  within 
fifteen  yards  of  us ;  but  was  side  to,  his  back  some  two 
feet  above  the  water.  I  aimed  the  gun  near  the  edge 
of  the  water  and  fired  the  bomb  lance.  It  went  through 
his  back,  skipjDed  some  twenty  feet  or  more  on  the 
water,  and  burst,  making  the  water  fly  high  in  the  air. 
This  enraged  him  and  he  went  fast  for  the  railroad 
bridge.  When  near  it  he  would  find  the  piling  thick, 
then  change  his  course  across  the  channel.  When 
passing  the  draw  the  water  was  thick  wdth  mud  that 
he  had  stirred  up.  He  could  not  see  the  draw,  and  as 
he  came  down  ran  on  to  the  old  wa^^s  left  there  after 
one  of  the  gunboats  was  launched.  Nearly  half  his 
back  was  out  of  the  water.     We  in  the  boat  saw  his 


112  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

position,  and  rowed  with  all  our  strength  to  get  to  him 
before  he  could  back  off.  Being  flood  tide,  before  we 
could  get  near  enough  to  iron  him  he  ran  from  one 
bridge  to  another,  saw  the  wide  space  in  the  draw,  and 
went  through  it.  When  he  got  to  Portland  Bridge  he 
passed  through  some  distance  south  of  the  draw,  and 
we  saw  him  no  more.  He  was  a  young  whale,  some 
thirty  feet  in  length.  If  we  had  thought  to  set  a  net 
across  the  draw  we  could  have  kept  him  there  until 
the  next  low  water.  I  guess  the  whale  came  upon  an 
excursion  to  view  the  ruins  of  Portland,  for  it  was  just 
after  the  big  fire. 

A  few  days  later  a  captain  of  a  fishing  schooner 
informed  me  that  he  saw  several  sword-fish  twenty-five 
miles  southeast  of  Cape  Elizabeth.  I  got  the  follow- 
ing crew:  Capt.  Scott  B.  Oliver,  Capt.  William  Small, 
Capt.  William  Senter,  Capt.  James  Blake,  and  two 
others,  went  out  to  the  place  reported  and  found  them. 
We  got  seven  large  fish  and  were  back  the  same  evening. 

A  Seven-Ton  Blackfish. — Shorth-  after  I  went 
on  a  blackfish  trip  with  the  following  crew:  Capt.  K. 
D.  Atwood,  Mr.  Theophilus  Hopkins,  Isaac  Smith, 
Capt.  James  Blake,  and  some  others.  When  about 
twenty  miles  south  southeast  from  Cape  Elizabeth 
lights,  we  sighted  a  large  school  of  blackfish,  some 
three  miles  in  length,  and  sailed  for  them.  I  was  on 
the  end  of  the  bowsprit  as  a  big  blackfish  came  up  to 
blow.  It  was  a  long  distance  to  harpoon,  but  I  sent  it 
some  thirty  feet  and  hit  him  hard.  When  we  hauled 
him  along-side,  Atwood  asked  me  what  I  would  do 
with  him.  I  said  hoist  him  on  board.  We  put  the 
fore-throat  halj^ards  on  him,  but  could  not  hoist  the 
head  half  out  of  the  water.  Then  the  question  came 
how  to  tow  him.     If  tail  foremost  we  would  be  a  long 


AN  UNBELIEVER  AND  HIS  LINEN  TROl'vSERS.         II3 

time  in  getting  him  in.  vSo  we  put  the  anchor  rope 
fast  to  the  tail,  led  it  to  the  head,  lashed  it,  put  old 
canvas  on  the  rope  to  save  the  chaffing  and  towed  him 
head  foremost.  During  this  time  the  wind  changed  to 
northwest  with  a  fresh  breeze  and  we  were  some  twenty 
miles  to  leeward  of  Cape  Elizabeth.  The  first  tack  we 
fetched  Seguin  Island,  and,  the  wind  favoring  us,  on 
the  next  tack,  Trundy's  Reef  buoy.  We  arrived  at 
the  Custom  House  dock  near  dark.  After  supper  I  had 
twenty  men  to  help  me  hoist  the  fish  up,  and  put  him 
into  Yeaton  &  Smith's  market,  at  Main  Wharf,  where 
he  was  to  be  exhibited.  It  was  low  water,  and  when 
most  up  to  the  top  of  the  wharf  he  slipped  out  of  the 
slings  and  went  down,  making  a  big  splash.  Then  we 
slung  him  solid  and  bridled  him  from  head  to  tail. 
When  up  to  the  cap  of  the  wharf  again,  one  of  the 
shear  legs  broke,  and  down  he  went  the  second  time. 
We  thought  the  shears  were  good  for  more  tliau  his 
weight,  but  we  had  under-estimated  him,  thinking  he 
would  weigh  eight  or  ten  thousand  pounds,  instead  of 
seven  tons  as  it  proved.  Then  we  went  to  Franklin 
Wharf,  got  large  spars,  and  rigged  up  again.  B}^  this 
time  it  was  midnight,  and  down  came  fifteen  policemen, 
who  took  hold  of  the  fall,  which  was  a  luff  tackle,  and 
up  he  went.  Then  came  hard  work  to  haul  him  into  the 
market  with  another  large  tackle.  When  we  got  him 
in  there  we  put  the  tape  on,  and  he  measured  twent}^- 
four  feet  in  length  and  twelve  feet  in  circumference. 

An    UNliELIEVER    AND     HiS     LiNEN    TrOUSERS. — 

We  had  him  on  exhibition  two  days,  and  the  market 
was  filled  with  people  the  most  of  the  time.  The  last 
da}'  he  swelled  up  large,  the  result  of  whicli  was  some 
fun.  A  man  and  a  boy  came  from  the  country,  both 
wearing  linen   trousers.     The  old  man  said  it  was  a 


114  CAPTAIN    BEn'vS    book. 

liunibug;  that  it  was  India  rubber  blown  up,  and  not  a 
fish.  I  showed  him  where  the  skin  was  off  and  he 
could  see  the  blubber,  but  to  no  purpose.  He  w^ent 
around  where  the  harpoon  was  imbedded.  I  left  it 
there  so  the  people  could  see  where  the  fish  was  hit. 
The  old  man  asked  what  that  was.  I  told  him  it  was 
the  harpoon  that  captured  the  fish.  He  took  hold  of 
it.  I  told  him  to  be  careful  or  he  might  get  something 
on  him  that  wouldn't  smell  good.  At  that  moment  he 
gave  a  jerk  as  if  he  were  mad.  The  matter  came  out 
as  if  out  of  a  gun,  and  he  and  the  boy  got  the  full 
force  on  their  new  linen  trousers.  The  last  I  saw  of 
them  they  were  on  the  wharf  working  with  straw  to 
clean  the  filth  from  their  clothes.  The  smell  was 
worse  than  porgy  oil.  The  blubber  of  the  fish  was 
taken  off  and  the  oil  tried  out  by  John  Stillwell,  the 
whaler,  and  put  into  barrels  over  night.  The  barrels 
shrunk  up  during  the  night  and  we  lost  about  one 
hundred  dollars'  worth  of  oil.  The  dock  in  the  morn- 
ing w^as  covered  with  it.  The  oil  was  sold,  and  what 
was  taken  at  the  exhibition  amounted  to  $350.  The 
crew  shared  about  $70  apiece.  The  carcass  was  given 
to  a  farmer  to  haul  off,  and  we  had  lots  of  sport  with 
him.  When  the  harpoon  was  cut  out  it  was  within 
two  or  three  inches  of  the  heart. 

The  blackfish  is  a  true  cetacean  (delphinus  globi- 
ceps,  Cuvier)  and  is  commonly  called  the  social  bottle 
head  or  howling  whale.  Although  having  a  fish-like 
form  it  is,  as  the  other  cetaceans,  not  a  fish  but  a  true 
air-breathing  mammal,  warm  blooded,  bringing  forth 
its  3'oung  alive,  and  suckling  them  for  a  considerable 
period.  The  manner  in  which  nature  works  its  trans- 
formation from  one  order  of  beings  to  another  is  curi- 
ously illustrated  in  the  pectoral  fins  of  the  blackfish. 


AN  UNBRLIKVRR  AND  HIS  LINEN  TROUSERS.         II5 

wliicli  are  in  reality  the  forelegs  of  the  animal,  con- 
taining the  usual  bones  of  the  vertebrate  arm.  Being 
an  air-breathing  animal,  thrown  into  the  sea  to  live 
among  the  fishes,  it  is  thus  adapted  to  its  home  b}^ 
having  its  anterior  limbs  converted  into  powerful  fins. 
The  posterior  limbs  are  dispensed  with,  the  only  trace 
of  them  being  a  pair  of  pelvic  bones  suspended  among 
the  muscles  and  detached  from  the  spine.  The  black- 
fish  is  remarkable  for  its  social  disposition,  herding 
together  in  great  numbers.  This  specimen  as  it  la^^ 
upon  its  belh'  measured  five  feet  from  the  back  to  the 
top  of  its  dorsal  fin.  Its  shape  was  like  that  of  two 
inclined  planes  united  in  a  crest  or  dorsal  fin.  Its 
head  was  obtuse,  conical,  and  rounded.  Its  mouth  was 
comparatively'  small,  with  teeth  set  wide  apart,  and 
about  half  an  inch  long.  Its  nostrils  opened  on  the  top 
of  the  head,  and  like  that  of  the  whale  constituted  the 
blow  holes  for  purposes  of  respiration  and  the  expul- 
sion of  water,  not  for  the  exercise  of  smell.  There  were 
no  external  ears,  and  the  e3'es  were  small,  not  larger 
than  those  of  an  ox,  and  apparentl}-  ver^-  far  back.  Its 
skin  was  without  scales,  perfectly  smooth,  black  in 
color,  and  ver}-  much  resembling  India  rubber  in  ap- 
pearance. The  head  was  disproportionately  large,  the 
body  tapering  rapidly  from  the  dorsal  fin  to  the  tail, 
which  had  two  flukes  extended  h()rizontall3\  These 
flukes  the  animal,  in  propelling  itself  through  the 
water,  bends  into  the  exact  form  of  a  propeller  It  was 
doubtless  from  this  that  our  inventors  got  their  idea 
of  the  steam  propeller.  The  blackfish  like  all  the 
cetaceans  is  carnivorous,  preying  on  smaller  fish,  like 
mackerel  or  herring,  opening  his  mouth  and  swallow- 
ing numbers  as  he  drives  through  the  frightened 
schools  of  small  fry.  The  oil  is  clear,  and  as  nice  as 
sperm  oil. 


Il6  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

A  Fight  with  a  Sword-FivSh. — In  the  summer 
of  1867  we  went  on  several  sword-fishing  trips  and  had 
a  hard  fight  with  one  fish  about  twenty  miles  from 
Cape  Elizabeth.  At  the  time  we  were  laying  becalmed 
and  we  sighted  a  big  fish  a  short  distance  awa^^ 

Mr.  Henry  M.  Turner  was  one  of  the  party  and  I 
took  him  in  the  boat  to  scull  me,  I  harpooned  the  fish, 
and  when  he  was  hit  it  numbed  him.  We  backed  off" 
some  forty  or  fifty  fathoms  of  line  from  him.  He  came 
up  and  took  a  circle,  and,  when  half-way  around  again, 
came  straight  for  us.  I  told  Turner  to  keep  the  boat 
head  on  to  him,  and  when  he  got  near  the  bow  I  shoved 
the  lance  in  him  up  to  the  socket.  That  seemed  to 
still  him  for  a  while  and  the  speed  carried  him  under 
the  boat.  I  told  Turner  to  back  off  immediately. 
This  time  we  backed  the  whole  length  of  the  line,  one 
hundred  fathoms.  Just  as  the  line  came  taut  the  fish 
rose  to  the  top  of  the  water,  circled  around  as  he  did  at 
first,  and  came  for  us  again.  I  waited  until  he  got 
near  enough  for  me  to  shove  the  lance  into  him. 
When  I  did  so,  and  put  my  weight  on  it,  the  dory 
slewed,  he  put  his  head  up,  and  the  sword  came  up 
over  the  gunwale.  I  told  Turner  to  catch  him  by  the 
sword.  He  did  so  with  both  hands.  The  fish  remained 
quiet,  probably  for  fear  of  breaking  his  sword.  I  made 
good  use  of  the  lance  while  he  was  in  this  position, 
lanced  him  several  times,  and  then  as  he  was  sinking 
told  Turner  to  let  go  and  back  off.  We  backed  off  the 
whole  length  of  the  line,  and  kept  it  taut  so  as  to  know 
his  position.  I  concluded  that  he  could  not  stand  it 
long  and  as  he  did  not  come  on  top  of  the  water  again, 
I  concluded  that  he  must  be  dead  and  on  the  bottom. 
After  waiting  some  tM^^enty  to  thirty  minutes  we  hauled 
him  up  from  the  bottom  in  about  fifty  fathoms  of  water. 


A    FIGHT    WITH    A    SWORD-FISH.  1 17 

The  party  on  the  pih)t  boat  felt  ven^  anxious  about  us 
after  seeing  such  a  battle,  but  they  had  no  wind  to  get 
to  us.  AVe  put  a  tail  rope  on  him  and  towed  him  to 
the  pilot  boat.  He  proved  to  be  fifteen  feet  long  and 
weighed  four  hundred  pounds. 

I  consider  it  very  dangerous  to  have  slack  lime 
after  making  fast  to  a  sword-fish,  as  you  do  not  know 
what  minute  he  will  come  up  through  the  bottom  of 
the  boat.  By  backing  off  and  keeping  a  taut  line  vou 
can  tell  just  where  he  is.  One  time  I  struck  a  small 
sword-fish  off  the  bowsprit  of  the  "  Nettle."  She  was 
going  at  eight  or  nine  knots  with  a  strong  breeze. 
The  fish  was  heading  the  same  way  the  boat  was.  He 
turned  around  quickly  and  ran  into  the  pilot  boat  abaft 
the  main  rigging,  ran  his  sword  through  the  waist- 
board  and  into  a  white-oak  timber  some  three  inches 
and  broke  it  off.  It  was  lucky  that  his  sword  did  not 
go  above  the  rail,  as  the  cockpit  was  full  of  people  and 
some  one  might  have  been  injured  b}-  it.  A  line  and 
keg  were  thrown  overboard  and  the  boat  hove  to.  Two 
of  us  took  the  dory,  picked  up  the  buoy,  and  hauled 
on  to  him,  coiling  the  rope  into  a  tub.  He  was  appar- 
ently dead  and  did  not  move.  We  hauled  him  up  and 
put  a  tail  line  on  him.  The  pilot  boat  came  np  to  us 
and  took  a  line.  The  fish  was  hauled  along-side  the 
boat  and  hoisted  on  board.  He  showed  no  sign  of  life. 
We  were  on  our  way  home  when  we  sighted  him. 
When  near  Portland  Head  Light  he  came  to  life  and 
went  to  jumping.  One  time  I  thought  that  he  would 
go  overboard  before  I  could  get  him  still.  We  stilled 
him  by  hitting  him  on  his  sword  with  a  club. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

IN  WHICH  ALL  MANNER  OF  FISH  IS  SOUGHT,  FROM  SEA  SERPENT  TO 
MACKEREL. A  FIGHT  BETWEEN  A  SWORD-FISH  AND  TWO  KILL- 
ERS.  ST.    ELMO's    FIRE. THE    RACE    BETWEEN     THE    "  NETTLE " 

AND      "SPARKLE." A      FAMOUS     TROUTING      PARTY     ON      MOUNT 

DESERT. CONCERNING  WATER-SPOUTS. HUNTING    EIDER  DUCKS. 

DOCTOR    BOWLES  AND  THE  WHITE-'I'AILED    MARTIN. THE    BEGIN- 
NING   OF    THE    SWORD-FISH    INDUSTRY. 

JULY  25,  1867,  the  "Nettle"  sailed  on  a  deep-sea- 
fishing  trip,  well  prepared  to  capture  anything  from 
a  sea  serpent  down  to  a  mackerel.  When  about  twen- 
ty-five miles  from  Cape  Elizabeth  we  saw  something 
ahead,  at  times,  making  the  water  fly.  The  water  was 
smooth,  with  a  light  southwest  wind.  As  we  neared 
the  strange  object  we  saw  something  black  sticking 
up  three  or  four  feet.  The  party  became  very  much 
excited  and  said  that  it  must  be  the  sea  serpent.  They 
asked  me  if  I  was  going  to  harpoon  him,  and  I  said 
yes,  I  would  harpoon  anything  in  the  water  if  I  could 
get  near  enough.  But,  getting  close  to  the  suspicious 
thing,  we  found  it  to  be  two  large  killers  having  a  ter- 
rific battle  with  a  sword-fish.  These  fish  were  all  of 
thirty  feet  in  length,  with  a  high  fin  on  the  back.  We 
could  see  the  sword-fish  at  times  showing  a  fin  and 
going  through  the  water  very  fast.  I  thought  that  it 
would  be  a  good  chance  to  use  my  harpoon,  but  the 
eyes  of  the  fish  were  too  sharp  for  me.  When  we  got 
close  to  them  they  would  go  down  and  come  up  in 
another  direction.  In  a  short  time  the  killers  seemed 
to  be  victorious,  and  the  sword-fish  took  a  northeast 
direction  and  left  them,  going  faster  than  we  could  sail 


SPORT   OFF    MONHEGAN    AND    .SFlGUIN.  II9 

with  a  three-knot  breeze.  But  before  he  got  out  of 
sight  from  the  mast-head  he  turned  around  and  began 
to  circle,  probably  to  see  if  the  killers  were  after  him. 
By  this  means  we  gained  on  him,  got  into  good  posi- 
tion, and  harpooned  him.  After  being  fast  to  him  for 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  we  got  him  up  to  the  boat 
and  lanced  him.  His  length  was  twelve  feet,  three 
inches.  He  was  large  in  body  and  evidently  a  male 
fish.  The  male  fish  do  the  fighting  and  are  pio\ided 
with  a  solid  sword.  The  female  sword  contains  differ- 
ent cells  the  whole  length.  I  have  a  female  sword  in 
my  office  sawed  vertically,  which  is  a  curiosity   to  see. 

Sport  Off  Monhegan  and  Seguin.  —  After  the 
fish  was  aboard  we  sailed  for  Monhegan  Island.  There 
we  had  grand  good  luck  and  sport.  We  captured  five 
good-sized  sword-fish  and  returned  home,  having  been 
out  only  two  da3'S.  The  combined  length  of  the  five 
fish  was  sixt3'-eight  feet,  seven  inches.  In  the  party 
were  Capt.  James  Blake,  Alex  Ta3'lor,  Lemuel  Cush- 
iug,  and  se\eral  others  whom  I  do  not  remember.  On 
these  trips  I  could  onl}-  take  four  or  five  passengers 
besides  ni}-  crew,  on  account  of  the  small  space  for 
sleeping.  All  the  party  were  highly  pleased  with  the 
trip,  and  wished  to  go  again.  A  great  many  wished 
to  go,  but  there  was  not  room  enough  to  accommodate 
them.  Oftentimes  the}^  would  engage  ahead  so  as  to 
get  the  chance  of  going. 

IM}-  next  trip  was  a  short  one  for  a  day  to  the 
south  of  Seguin  Island.  We  caught  one  large  sword- 
fish  weighing  nearl}^  five  hundred  pounds,  and  a  large 
sunfish  nearly  the  same  weight.  ( )u  seeing  a  hirge 
whale,  some  fift}-  to  sixty  feet  long,  we  tried  to  get  on 
him  for  harpooning,  but  his  ej^es  were  too  sharp  for  us. 
It  is  surprising  how  far  whales  can  see,  considering 


I20  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

that  their  eyes  are  only  as  large  as  those  of  an  ox.  I 
loaded  the  whale  gun  with  the  bomb  lance  and  took  it 
on  the  end  of  the  bowsprit,  but  the  nearest  that  I  could 
get  was  from  twent}'  to  thirty  ^^ards.  The  next  time 
he  came  up  to  blow,  heading  from  us,  I  fired  the  gun, 
aiming  a  little  high.  The  bomb  lance  hit  him  on 
the  back,  glanced,  and  bounded  some  distance  ahead. 
Before  he  had  time  to  get  up  where  it  was  it  exploded. 
He  changed  his  course,  and  made  the  water  foam.  It 
looked  as  though  he  was  going  fift}^  miles  an  hour,  and 
it  was  onl}?^  a  short  time  before  he  was  out  of  sight. 

St.  El^io's  Fire. — I  have  frequently  mentioned 
St.  Elmo's  fire.  There  is  a  class  of  cjuite  harmless 
phenomena  caused  b}^  a  strong  degree  of  electricity, 
where  the  air  is  highl}'  charged,  as  during  storms  of 
snow  or  rain.  These  sometimes  become  visible  in  the 
form  of  pale-colored  flames,  quivering  on  the  points  of 
non-conductors  or  of  insulated  conductors.  ]\Iariner's 
lights,  or  St.  Elmo's  fire,  is  a  phenomenon  of  this 
description,  usualh'  reckoned  by  sailors  a  fortunate 
omen.  It  was  noticed  during  the  voyages  of  Columbus 
and  Magellan.  Forbin  thus  describes  its  appearance 
as  observed  by  him  in  1696:  "The  sk}^  was  suddenly 
covered  with  thick  clouds.  Fearing  a  gale,  I  had  all 
the  sails  reefed.  There  were  more  than  thirty  St. 
Elmo's  fires  on  the  ship.  One  of  them  occupied  the 
vane  of  the  mainmast  and  was  about  nineteen  inches 
long.  I  sent  a  sailor  to  fetch  it.  When  he  was  aloft 
he  heard  a  noise  like  that  which  is  made  when  moist 
gunpowder  is  burned.  I  ordered  him  to  take  off  the 
vane.  He  had  scarcely  executed  this  order  when  the 
fire  quitted  it  and  placed  itself  at  the  top  of  the  main- 
mast, whence  it  could  not  possibh^  be  removed." 

Admiral  Smith  describes  one  observed  by  him  in 


.^/Jj" 


3-r.    ELMO'S    FIRE. 


122  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

1807,  while  on  board  the  frigate  "  Cornwallis,"  in  the 
Bay  of  Panama,  of  such  brilliancy  that  they  could  see 
each  other's  faces  on  deck.  I  never  saw  any  of  these 
lights,  but  am  acquainted  with  several  captains  who 
have  seen  them,  I  put  this  in,  thinking  it  will  be  of 
interest  to  my  readers. 

The  "Nettle"  and  the  "Sparkle."  —  Capt. 
William  Senter  owned  a  yacht  named  the  "Sparkle." 
Being  about  the  size  of  my  boat  (the  "Nettle")  and 
well  matched  for  speed,  we  were  often  in  the  same  com- 
pany on  shooting  excursious  and  sailing  parties.  One 
memorable  trip  was  from  Portland  to  Bar  Harbor. 
The  "Sparkle"  had  a  party  of  ten  and  crew  and  the 
"Nettle"  the  same.  We  sailed  from  Portland  in  the 
forenoon  in  a  strong  southwest  wind.  My  pilot  was  to 
take  us  to  Bass  Harbor;  then  their  pilot  was  to  take 
charge  from  there  to  Bar  Harbor.  The  first  night  was 
spent  at  Herring  Gut.  We  got  under  way  in  the 
morning  with  a  fair  wind  as  strong  as  we  wished.  Mr. 
Senter  was  trying  his  best  to  pass  the  "Nettle,"  but 
when  he  got  on  the  weather  quarter  she  gradually 
dropped  astern.  Then  he  changed  his  course  to  the 
leeward  of  our  wake,  so  she  would  come  up  slowly  and 
get  near  enough  to  enable  each  party  to  talk  and  toss 
boiled  eggs  to  and  fro.  When  we  arrived  at  Bass  Har- 
bor bar,  I  luffed  into  the  wind  and  let  the  "Sparkle" 
take  the  lead;  then  I  tried  my  best  for  the  rest  of  the 
day  to  pass  by  her,  watching  strong  flaws  of  wind  to 
get  my  jib  far  enough  ahead  to  take  the  wind  out  of 
her  mainsail  so  I  could  pass.  In  so  doing  I  dropped 
slowly  astern ;  then  changed  my  course  to  the  leeward 
of  her  wake  and  gained  until  we  could  easily  converse 
with  each  other.  We  went  in  this  wise  all  the  wa}^  to 
Bar  Harbor,  arriving  there  near  night.     Both  yachts 


A    TROUTING    TRIP    AT    BAR    HARBOR.  1 23 

luffed  up  and  anchored  simultaneously,  making  four- 
teen hours  running  time,  which  was  very  good  for 
small  yachts.  My  party  consisted  of  Judge  Edward 
Fox,  Rev.  Dr.  Burgess,  Rev.  Dr.  Shailer,  George  E. 
B.  Jackson,  and  others.  I  don't  remember  the  date  of 
this  trip,  but  think  there  were  only  two  boarding- 
houses  at  Bar  Harbor  then. 

A  Trouting  Trip  at  Bar  Harbor. — \\>  learned 
that  some  of  the  "Sparkle"  party  were  going  trouting 
in  the  morning.  One  of  them  was  lyieutenant  Inman, 
who  had  been  there  before.  He  had  written  ahead  and 
engaged  the  only  boat  they  had  in  the  trout  pond.  As 
Messrs.  Burgess  and  Jackson  felt  sorrv  that  thev  could 
not  go  trouting  too,  I  told  them  that  I  thought  it 
could  be  arranged.  I  went  ashore  and  saw  a  farmer 
and  engaged  him  to  take  his  ha^'-rack  and  haul  my 
boat  to  the  pond,  which  was  some  four  miles  away. 
Several  of  each  part}'  stopped  ashore  nights.  In  the 
morning  while  they  were  at  breakfast  I  dug  angle 
worms  for  bait.  The  boat  was  put  on  hay  so  as  to  ride 
easy.  The  morning  being  misty,  we  took  our  rubber 
coats  and  started  for  the  pond.  W'e  arrived  at  the  foot, 
put  our  boat  into  the  water,  and  got  the  farmer  to  come 
back  for  us  late  in  the  afternoon.  Rowing  up  to  the 
head  of  the  pond  we  found  our  foresighted  friends,  who 
were  very  much  surprised  to  see  us.  They  were  hav- 
ing fine  luck,  catching  trout  fast,  and  were  mighty 
proud  of  a  fanc}-  dip  net  they  had  brought  along.  We 
anchored  there  and  began  to  fish.  The  mist  cleared, 
giving  us  a  good  overcast  day,  and  the  trout  bit  fast. 
Mr.  Burgess  said  it  was  a  pity  we  did  not  have  a  dip 
net  for  them.  In  a  few  minutes  he  hooked  a  good-sized 
trout.  I  took  Judge  Fox's  sou'wester  hat  to  use  as  a 
dip  net  and  it  worked  like  a  charm.     The  trout  ran 


124  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

into  it  and  I  made  qnite  a  haul,  spattering  Mr.  Burgess 
in  the  operation.  However,  he  did  not  mind  that  as 
long  as  we  got  the  fish  and  beat  the  other  fellows.  We 
caught  all  the  trout  that  we  wanted,  and  put  some  in 
the  ice-chest  so  we  had  them  fresh  all  the  rest  of  the 
trip.  I  split,  salted,  and  dried  some  of  them.  When 
dried  they  were  as  tough  as  leather  and  had  no  taste. 

Water-SpouTvS.  —  Having  been  asked  to  describe 
water-spouts,  I  insert  this  short  description.  Water- 
spouts are  whirlwinds  occurring  on  the  sea  or  on  lakes. 
The}^  first  appear  in  the  form  of  an  inverted  cone 
attached  to  a  dark  cloud.  The  cone  swings  back- 
wards and  forw^ards,  and  gradually  approaches  the 
water,  which  becomes  violently  agitated.  The  whirl- 
ing eddy  draws  up  masses  of  spray  which  unite  with 
the  descending  cone.  When  fully  formed  they  appear 
as  tall  pillars  of  clouds  of  a  sombre  gray,  stretching 
from  the  sea  to  the  sky,  whirling  around  on  their  axes. 
Besides  this  rotary,  they  have  a  progressive,  motion. 
They  continue  but  a  brief  time,  when  the  column 
breaks,  and  rain  often  descends  from  the  clouds  above. 
The  drops  of  water  forming  this  rain  are  never  salt,  as 
would  be  the  case  were  they  carried  up  from  the  ocean. 
They  must  be  derived  from  the  clouds,  as  is  ordinary 
rain.  The  accompanying  illustration  gives  a  good 
idea  of  them. 

A  Fruitless  Hunt  for  Eider  Ducks. —  In  the 
winter  of  1868  the  sea  game  were  very  plentiful,  par- 
ticularly the  eider  ducks,  whose  places  of  feeding  were 
Green  Island  Reefs  and  Half  Way  Rock.  They  came 
in  thousands.  I  got  up  the  following  part}'  to  go  to 
Half  Way  Rock:  William  Senter,  George,  Henry,  and 
Charles  Trefethen,  and  Alpheus  Sterling.  The  wind 
was  northwest,  and  blowing  very  heavy  and  cold.     We 


WATER-SPOUTS. 


126  CAPTAIN    BEX'vS    BOOK. 

ran  outside  of  Bangs  Island  and  anchored  under  the 
lee  to  get  an  earl}^  start  for  the  shooting  grounds.  AVe 
got  under  way  earl}'  in  the  morning,  but  found  we 
could  not  steer  the  boat  as  the  rudder  had  frozen  up 
solid  in  the  rudder  port.  We  had  to  haul  down  the 
head  sail  and  heat  water  to  thaw  it  out.  The  ther- 
mometer was  twelve  below  zero.  When  passing  Green 
Island  it  came  on  to  blow  a  gale.  Wq  stood  in  under 
the  lee  of  Jewell's  Island  and  anchored,  hoping  to  see 
the  wind  die  awa}-  so  we  could  have  some  fun  with  the 
ducks.  We  found  after  breakfast  that  the  wind  kept 
on  blowing  and  we  decided  to  come  home  with  no 
ducks  that  trip. 

Mr.  Bowles  axd  the  White-Tailed  Martin. 
— In  Ma\'  Ave  had  a  fine  gunning  trip  to  Cape  Small 
Point.  We  got  some  over  two  hundred  game,  mostly 
of  the  coot  kind.  W^e  had  gray  coot,  white-winged 
coot,  butter-bill  coot,  old  squaw,  some  wild  pigeon,  a 
few  northern  divers,  one  fine  comorant,  and  one  large 
white-tailed  martin.  The  party  consisted  of  Jonas 
Hamilton,  George  Trefethen,  J.  N.  Martin,  Mr.  Ta3dor, 
William  Senter,  m3\self,  and  two  others.  On  the  way 
home  we  took  one  morning  at  Hussey's  Sound  for  old 
squaws.  Hamilton  and  Trefethen  being  the  last  to 
leave  the  pilot  boat,  the}-  hove  fifteen  or  twent}-  old 
squaws  aboard,  and  started  for  the  sound  to  shoot. 
About  ID  A.  M.  all  the  shooters  came  on  board.  Some 
of  the  boats  had  from  five  to  seven.  Hamilton  and 
Trefethen  began  to  throw  theirs  out  and  count  them, 
and  all  the  rest  of  the  shooters  were  ver}-  much  sur- 
prised to  see  so  many  birds  with  so  little  shooting. 
On  arriving  at  Portland  the  birds  fell  short  in  number. 
Then  it  leaked  out  that  they  took  a  suppl}-  in  the 
morning  from  the  pilot  boat. 


MAKING    A    BIG    HAUL    OF    SWORD-FISH.  1 27 

The  next  morning  a  list  of  our  game  was  in  the 
dail}^  papers.  The  Rev.  Air.  Bowles,  seeing  the  list  of 
game,  called  on  Mr.  Trefethen  and  asked  him  what  he 
did  with  the  comorant.  He  told  him  that  Willard 
hove  him  overboard.  Mr.  Bowles  said  he  was  very 
sorrj^  for  that,  as  it  was  a  rare  bird  on  this  coast  and 
he  wanted  it  to  mount  for  the  Natural  History  Society. 
He  saw  by  the  paper  that  we  had  one  large  white-tailed 
martin.  Trefethen  explained  that  the  rare  bird  was 
Mr.  Alartin,  and  said  that  Willard  shot  Martin  with  a 
number  four  spent  shot.  It  stung  him  on  the  cheek, 
but  did  not  break  the  skin,  as  the  distance  was  some 
two  hundred  \'ards. 

In  the  morning  Mr.  Hamilton  saw  the  same 
account  in  the  papers,  and  called  on  Martin  at  the 
roundhouse,  saying  that  the  Rev.  Air.  Bowles  wanted 
to  see  him. 

"What  does  he  want  to  see  me  for?"  innocently 
asked  Mr.  Martin. 

Hamilton  said,  "  He  wants  to  get  vour  hide  to 
mount  for  the  Natural  Historv  Societ3\" 

"What  are  you  coming  at?"  said  Martin. 

Hamilton  then  asked  him  if  he  hadn't  seen  the 
paper  that  morning.  When  it  was  handed  to  him  and 
he  read  the  remarkable  item  of  news  his  wrath  was 
only  equaled  by  his  astonishment. 

Making  a  Big  Haul  of  Sword-Fish. — During 
the  summer  of  1868,  the  sword-fish  were  very  plentiful 
and  I  captured  sixty-four  of  them.  Mv  largest  trip  I 
brought  in  August  27th.  I  Lad  seventeen  sword-fish 
and  one  shark.  One  of  these  fish  was  twenty-one  feet 
in  length,  and  weighed  nine  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
pounds.  The  smallest  one  was  eleven  feet  long.  This 
one,  with  the  shark,  was  given  to  the  Peabody  Institute 


128  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    BOOK. 

to  be  mounted.  The  trip  lasted  three  days.  The  fol- 
lowing composed  the  party :  Capt.  A.  S.  Oliver,  Capt. 
James  Blake,  Edward  Keene,  Lemuel  Gushing,  Edwin 
Bicknell,  of  Salem,  Mass,  and  one  or  t^^o  others.  We 
saw  no  one  else  fishing  on  the  grounds.  These  fish 
were  caught  twenty-five  miles  south  southeast  of  ]\Ion- 
hegan  Island. 

My  next  sword-fish  trip  was  to  the  same  grounds. 
A\^e  found  plenty  of  them  and  captured  twelve  in  one 
day ;  then  hove  to  for  the  night.  During  the  first  part 
of  the  night  we  were  bus}-  dressing  the  sword-fish  to 
ice  up.  It  being  calm  and  smooth,  the  sharks  came 
around  in  great  numbers  to  get  the  waste  we  were 
throwing  overboard.  While  washing  the  deck  down 
one  came  up  to  the  scupper  to  get  the  blood  that  was 
running  out,  and  the  top  of  his  back  was  out  of  the  water. 
I  told  the  party  to  stand  back  away  from  his  tail  and 
I  would  lance  him.  I  took  the  lance  and  stood  on  the 
house  away  from  the  rail,  giving  it  to  him  good  and 
hard.  In  his  hurry  to  get  away  from  the  boat  his  tail 
came  out  of  the  water  five  or  six  feet,  throwing  water 
nearh'  all  over  the  boat.  No  sooner  was  that  shark 
driven  off  than  others  came  up  to  the  same  place.  I 
lanced  three  or  four  more  for  the  amusement  of  the 
part3\  When  morning  came  the  wind  began  to  breeze 
up  southeast  and  rain  to  fall.  It  came  a  strong  gale 
and  we  had  to  run  for  home.  The  seventeen  sword-fish 
lot  brought  eight  and  a  half  cents  a  pound,  the  twevle 
lot  eight  and  a  quarter.  The}'  were  shipped  to  Boston 
bj'  K.  D.  Atwood.  During  the  summer  I  stocked 
$1,150  on  sword-fish.  Then  all  the  fishermen  pre- 
pared for  sword-fishing,  and  ha\e  made  a  business  of 
it  ever  since. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A     CRUISE     FOR      THE     SEA      SERPENT. DISTIN(;UISHED     JURISTS     AND 

CLERGYMEN      HUNTIN(;      THE     WHALE. LOTS     OF      FUN      BUT     NO 

FISH. A    COLORED    COOK     WHO     TURNED     WHITE. COLLECTING 

SHIP    NEWS    FOR    THE     DAILY     PAPERS. RESCUE    OF    A    GUNNING 

PARTY      ON      HALF      WAY      ROCK. CAPTAIN      SENIER      AND     THE 

"SPARKLE." 

7\  BOUT  this  time  a  .sea  serpent  was  reported  off  the 
coast.  I  got  a  crew  and  started  in  the  "Nettle" 
in  search.  We  cruised  three  days  M'ithout  seeing  him, 
and  then  abandoned  the  quest.  On  the  way  back  we 
captured  a  blackfish  and  sokl  it  to  Air.  Johnson,  the 
lobster  dealer,  thus  making  more  out  of  our  hunt  than 
most  people  do  who  chase  sea  serpents. 

In  the  spring  of  1S69  the  "Nettle"  and  the 
"Sparkle"  both  took  gunning  parties  to  Cape  Small 
Point  Harbor  and  gunned  in  the  small  boats.  Later  in 
the  season  I  took  the  following  party  for  deep-sea  fish- 
ing: Judge  Edward  Fox,  Rev.  Dr.  Shailer,  Rev.  Dr. 
Burgess,  George  E.  B.  Jackson,  Mr.  John  Short,  Capt. 
James  Blake,  Dixon  D.  Fuller,  and  two  others  besides 
the  crew.  When  about  a  mile  outside  Ram  Island, 
Judge  Fox  saw  a  big  fish  break  water  and  called  my 
attention  to  it.  After  a  few  minutes  we  saw  a  3^oung 
whale  some  thirty  feet  in  length  come  up  and  blow,  I 
immediately  got  my  harpoon  ready  and  took  position 
on  the  end  of  the  bowsprit,  with  a  life-line  around  my 
bod}'  and  jibstav.  Fuller  hauled  the  boat  up  and  got 
things  ready.  At  that  moment  the  whale  blew  close 
to  the  lee  quarter.      As  he  came  forward   I   coukl  see 


130  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

him  under  water.  He  crossed  under  the  bowsprit,  some 
ten  feet  deep,  and  came  up  on  the  starboard  side  to 
blow,  giving  me  a  good  chance  to  throw  it  with  all  ni}^ 
might  and  it  took  effect  about  midway  on  the  left  side 
and  buried  all  of  two  feet  in  him.  I  told  Fuller  to 
jump  into  the  boat  with  another  man,  and  got  in  off 
the  bowsprit  as  soon  as  possible.  As  I  boarded  the 
boat  the  whale  began  to  run  the  line  quickly'  out  of 
the  tub,  and  the  man  who  got  in  with  Fuller  grew 
frightened,  jumping  out,  and  climbed  upon  the  j^acht. 
We  gave  the  fish  the  whole  line  of  a  hundred  fathoms 
in  order  to  get  the  end  through  a  leader  in  the  bow  of 
the  boat.  The  boat  was  onl}'  fourteen  feet  long,  built 
sharp  for  a  stevedore  boat,  and  unsuitable  to  attack 
laree  fish  in.  The  whale  ran  to  the  southwest  until 
he  got  in  the  ship  channel ;  then  changed  his  course 
to  northwest  and  ran  for  Portland  Harbor.  We  had 
hauled  in  about  fifty  fathoms  of  line,  and  when  oppo- 
site Portland  Head  Light  he  came  up  to  blow  and  then 
went  under;  heaving  his  tail  up  as  they  usuall}-  do 
when  going  down  to  sound.  The  next  time  he  came 
up  to  blow  I  sent  the  lance  into  his  back,  but  too  far 
aft  to  be  much  good.  At  this  time  we  were  very  near 
the  yacht,  thus  giving  the  party  a  grand  view  of  the 
monster.  As  he  ran  he  kept  near  the  top  of  the  water, 
the  line  cutting  through  the  water  and  humming  like 
a  fiddle-string,  while  ever}'  timber  of  the  boat  trembled. 
I  really  think  that  he  was  going  thirty  miles  an  hour. 

"  By  jinks,  aint  he  going?  "   shouted  Fuller. 

It  being  perfectly  smooth  water,  we  held  to  him. 
He  only  ran  with  this  speed  about  ten  minutes.  We 
looked  around  to  the  pilot  boat  and  she  was  four  or  five 
miles  away,  to  the  leeward,  so  we  could  hope  for  no 
help  from  her.     Every  time  we  hauled  on  to  him  and 


HUNTING    THE    WHALE.  131 

got  near  his  tail,  hoping  to  have  a  chance  to  lance  him 
when  he  came  up  to  blow,  he  would  see  us  and  run 
around  in  a  circle  with  great  speed,  like  a  horse  in  a 
circus  ring.  Our  boat  being  sharp,  we  could  not  turn 
around  quick  enough  and  would  have  to  pa}^  out  line 
to  keep  from  hauling  under.  The  circling  was  repeated 
twent3'-five  or  thirty  times  while  we  -were  fast  to  him. 
When  to  the  south  of  Cape  Elizabeth  some  six  or 
seven  miles,  we  came  across  Ellis  Usher  and  took  him 
on  board,  dropping  his  boat  astern  and  towing  her. 
Then  I  had  help  to  haul  on  the  line.  But  the  two 
boats  towing  did  not  make  any  difference  in  the  whale's 
speed.  Several  times  I  lanced  him,  but  it  was  too  far 
aft  to  be  any  good.  When  we  had  been  fast  to  him 
about  four  hours  he  seemed  to  get  tired,  and  as  he 
came  up  to  blow  I  sent  the  lance  on  an  angle  well  for- 
M'ard.  It  took  effect  in  his  back  about  ten  feet  abaft 
the  spout  hole.  The  staff  broke  off  at  the  socket. 
Then  we  were  crippled,  as  it  was  all  the  lance  we  had 
in  the  boat.  For  about  an  hour  the  lance  staj-ed  there, 
showing  the  socket  every  time  he  came  up  to  blow. 
Finallj^  it  worked  itself  out.  W'e  still  held  on  to  him, 
hoping  that  the  pilot  boat  would  get  up  to  us  so  we 
could  obtain  some  weapons.  We  could  then  have  killed 
him  easily.  After  being  fast  to  him  for  six  or  seven 
hours  the  harpoon  drew  out.  At  this  time  we  were 
about  twent3'-five  miles  south  southeast  of  Cape  Eliza- 
beth, with  the  pilot  boat  all  of  six  miles  to  our  leeward. 
Then,  being  tired  and  hungry'  and  with  not  a  dr}- 
stitch  on  us,  we  gave  up  the  chase. 

Some  two  days  after  this  the  whale  was  picked  up 
near  Cape  vSmall  Point,  towed  in,  and  put  on  exhil)ition. 
When  found  by  the  fishermen  he  had  a  big  wound  mid- 
way on  the  left  side  and  several  wounds  on  the  back. 


132  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

He  evidently  died  from  what  the  doctors  call  heart 
failure,  consequent  upon  the  harpooning  we  gave  him. 
It  was  my  usual  fortune  with  whales.  I  have  had 
good  luck  in  catching  all  other  kinds  of  large  fish,  but 
whales  have  baffled  me.  I  have  been  fast  to  several, 
but  never  succeeded  in  capturing  one.  However,  the 
party  enjoyed  the  sport  hugely,  and  Judge  Fox  and 
his  friends  went  on  many  a  trip  with  me  while  I  kept 
the  "Nettle." 

How  THE  Black  Cook  Turned  White.  —  The 
next  trip  out  for  big  fishing  I  had  no  party  excepting 
Capt.  James  Blake,  a  colored  cook,  and  myself.  We 
were  some  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Cape  Elizabeth, 
when  we  saw  a  large  school  of  blackfish,  ran  on  to 
them,  harpooned  one  of  a  good  size,  and  took  the  line 
in  the  boat.  I  took  the  cook  with  me.  The  blackfish 
kept  up  with  the  school,  towing  fast.  We  hauled  up 
to  him  and  when  he  came  up  to  blow  I  gave  him  the 
lance.  Then  he  made  the  water  fly  high  up  in  the  air. 
I  looked  around  to  see  if  the  cook  was  steering  the 
boat  and  found  he  had  turned  white  with  fright.  He 
begged  me  to  cut  the  line  and  let  the  fish  go.  I  told 
him  when  I  got  a  little  nearer  I  could  kill  it  in  a  few 
minutes.  We  found  that  the  fish  would  tow  us  up  to 
Boon  Island,  so  we  hauled  him  roughly,  to  stop  his 
speed,  and  the  harpoon  drew  out.  I  think  the  cook 
was  glad  the  fish  got  awa}-,  for  he  came  to  his  natural 
color  at  once. 

A  REvScue  at  Half  Way  Rock. — When  I  first 
began  stevedoring  I  collected  ship  news  for  the  daily 
papers.  While  in  the  harbor  one  night  a  coaster  came 
in,  and  reported  that  two  gunners  were  on  Half  Way 
Rock,  having  lost  their  boat.  He  tried  to  rescue  them, 
but  the  wind  was  blowing  hard  to  the  northwest  and  a 


A    RESCUE    AT    HALF    WAY    ROCK.  133 

rough  sea  raging,  so  he  had  to  give  up.  The}-  would 
freeze  that  night,  he  said,  if  not  taken  off,  I  went  to 
the  revenue  cutter  and  reported  the  case  to  the  lieu- 
tenant, who  said  he  would  send  to  the  Cape  for  Captain 
\\  aldron.  In  the  morning  I  was  up  to  the  Observatory 
before  daylight.  The  cutter  was  getting  under  wa}-  to 
go  down.  One  of  the  men  on  the  rock  was  Douglas, 
the  well-known  gunner.  Both  were  taken  off  by  the 
cutter's  boat  in  safety.  They  were  Harpswell  men, 
who  went  to  Half  Wa}'  Rock  in  a  Hampton  boat,  and 
punt  to  land  in.  Some  time  in  the  da}^  a  heav)'  squall 
came  up  and  the  boat  went  adrift.  The}-  started  in 
the  punt  to  get  the  boat,  but  it  upset  and  the  two  men 
swam  ashore.  The  wind  took  the  punt  on  shore  so 
they  turned  it  up  on  one  side  for  shelter.  The}-  got 
some  dr}'  powder  out  of  one  of  their  powder  horns  and 
started  a  fire  with  what  loose  stuff  they  could  gather. 
When  that  went  out  they  ran  to  and  fro  over  the  rocks 
to  keep  warm.  I  don't  see  how  they  kept  alive  that 
bitter  cold  night  with  their  clothing  wet  through.  I 
have  often  thought  of  the  night  when  I  have  been  there 
with  ni\'  friends  on  shooting  trips.  It  will  be  seen  by 
this  that  shooters  on  the  water  take  chances;  still  it  is 
not  so  dangerous  as  shooting  in  the  M'oods,  where 
gunners  shoot  on  seeing  the  bushes  move  and  often 
kill  men  in  mistake  for  deer.  I  would  rather  trust 
myself  on  Half  Way  Rock  than  take  to  the  bush  with 
a  careless  man. 

Captain  Sextkr  and  the  "Sparkle."  —  The 
fall  of  1869  was  good  for  sea  game.  Capt.  William 
Senter  and  party  with  the  yacht  "Sparkle,"  and  the 
pilot  boat  "  Nettle  "  with  a  party,  went  to  New  Meadows 
Bay,  had  great  sport,  and  shot  a  large  number  of  surf 
ducks.    Mr.  Senter  was  the  life  of  the  company.     When 


CAPT.    WILLIAM     SENTER. 


CAPTAIN    SEXTKR    AND    THE    "  SPARKLE."  I35 

it  was  thick  weather  my  lantern  was  put  over  the  boat's 
stern  by  night  to  keep  in  sight  with  each  other.  At 
times  the  two  parties  would  make  bets  on  the  first 
yacht  to  arrive  and  want  me  to  help  them.  I  said, 
"No,  I  never  leave  my  friend  Captain  Senter  in  thick 
weather.  If  you  liad  asked  me  before  starting,  I 
should  have  told  3'ou  to  never  bet  against  Captain 
Senter  and  the  yacht  '  Sparkle.'  His  \-acht  and  mine 
have  taken  many  friendly  parties  out  for  shooting  and 
deep-sea-fishing  trips." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   PEAEODY  OBSEQUIES. ARRIVAL  OF  THE  "MONARCH"   OFF  PORT- 
LAND,   AND    SEVERE    TRIP    OF    THE     PILOT     BOAT     IN    SEARCH     OF 

HER. THE    IMPRESSIVE    NAVAL    PROCESSION    UP    THE    HARBOR. 

ADMIRAL      FARRAGUT     AND     THE     "TERROR." ANOTHER     GREAT 

NAVAL    PAGEANT. THE    DUKE    OF    NEWCASTLE'S    HAT. 

(\^  the  4th  of  November,  1869,  the  cable  brought 
intelligence  of  the  death  of  George  Peabody,  the 
eminent  philanthropist,  who,  by  the  rare  simplicity  of 
his  life,  his  upright  and  honorable  career  as  a  merchant, 
and  his  broad  and  liberal  charities,  had  endeared  him- 
self to  the  English-speaking  people  of  two  continents. 

It  was  his  last  wish  that  his  body  should  repose 
in  his  native  state,  Massachusetts ;  and,  so,  after  a 
stately  funeral  in  Westminster  Abbe^^,  his  remains 
were  brought  to  America  on  the  great  iron-clad  "  Mon- 
arch," the  pride  of  the  British  Nav}^,  accompanied  by 
American  vessels  of  war,  detailed  as  escort.  Port- 
land was  designated  as  the  landing  place.  By  joint 
resolution  of  Congress  the  President  of  the  United 
States  was  authorized  to  make  suitable  preparations 
for  the  reception  of  the  body,  and  a  fitting  portion  of 
our  fleet  ordered  to  repair  to  Portland  under  command 
of  Admiral  Farragut,  the  ranking  officer  of  the  Ameri- 
can Navy.  The  "  Miantonomah "  and  the  "Terror" 
(formerly  the  "  Agamenticus  "  )  were  selected. 

I  was  appointed  pilot  by  the  Board  of  Trade,  in 
case  such  service  should  be  required  by  the  incoming 
fleet,  and  received  my  commission,  signed  by  President 
Jonas  H.  Perle}-  and  Secretary-  ]\I.  N.  Rich,  on  the 
29th  of  December,  1S69. 


THE    PKABODY    FLEET    ARRIVES.  1 37 

The  Peabody  Fleet  Arrives. — January  25, 
1870,  I  got  a  telegram  saying  that  the  "Monarch" 
and  her  escort,  the  "  Plymouth,"  were  off  South  Shoal 
light-ship.  I  got  ni}-  boat  read}-,  took  the  mails  at  the 
post-office  directed  to  the  two  vessels,  and  put  out  to 
meet  them.  Reporters  of  the  Kew  York  Herald  and 
Boston  Globe,  who  were  lying  in  wait,  called  to  get  a 
chance  to  go  on  the  pilot  boat  with  me.  I  declined  to 
take  them,  on  the  plea  that  I  couldn't  tell  how  long  we 
should  be  out;  but  took  Mr.  L.  H.  Cobb,  then  of  the 
Portland  Advertiser  and  now  editor  of  the  Press.  He 
was  the  onh'  one  I  wished  to  take.  ^I}'  crew  were 
Capt.  William  Small,  Mr.  Purington,  and  Air.  George 
Green,  who  was  to  pilot  the  "Plymouth"  in.  We 
started  that  afternoon,  in  a  strong,  northeast  wind,  with 
snow  aud  sleet  blowing.     Three  sails  were  carried. 

When  near  Bangs  Island  I  heard  a  gun  at  sea. 
At  Ram  Island  Ledge  we  took  in  the  foresail,  as  the 
sea  was  getting  very  rough.  In  sight  of  Bulwark  Shoal 
it  was  breaking  high.  About  that  time  a  sharp,  high 
comber  came  over  the  bow,  tumbled  down  on  deck, 
washed  off  the  fore-scuttle  hatch,  aud  swept  over  the 
top  of  the  house  to  the  mainmast.  Se\eral  barrels  of 
water  M-ent  down  into  the  forecastle  and  struck  a  hot 
cook  stove.  ]\Ir.  Purington,  who  was  in  the  cabin  at 
the  time,  came  running  up  and  said  that  the  bow  was 
stove  in.  Captain  Small  at  once  put  the  hatch  on  and 
lashed  it  down,  and  I  luffed  up  so  the  boat  could  shake 
the  Avater  off.  When  the  steam  cleared  away  so  I 
could  see  the  cabin  the  water  was  about  two  feet  deep 
on  the  floor.  It  looked  hard  for  a  few  minutes,  but  the 
only  thing  to  do  was  to  keep  cool.  The  pumps  were 
rigged  and  set  to  work,  and  after  a  time  we  surmounted 
the  danger.  Meanwhile  we  kept  off"  for  the  ships,  as 
we  could  hear  their  guns  at  constant  intervals. 


138  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Sighting  the  "Monarch." — After  passing  Cod 
Ledge  some  two  miles  we  sighted  the  "Monarch" 
in  the  mist,  made  toward  her,  and  shortly  saw  the 
"Plymouth"  a  short  distance  to  her  leeward.  We 
passed  under  the  lee  of  the  "  Monarch"  and  hailed  her 
to  send  a  boat  for  the  mail  and  pilot.  Presentl}^  we 
got  aboard,  and  the  "Plymouth"  being  signaled,  Mr. 
Green  was  sent  to  her  as  pilot.  By  this  time  the  snow 
was  quite  thick,  and  the  captain  on  the  "Monarch" 
hesitated  whether  to  go  in  or  haul  off  for  the  night- 
On  my  assurance  he  went  ahead,  and  anchored  in  the 
lower  harbor. 

Soon  after  we  anchored,  a  government  tug  came 
along-side  to  render  whatever  assistance  was  needed. 
The  captain  of  the  "Monarch"  wished  me  to  see  Ad- 
miral Farragut  and  ask  him  to  take  charge  of  the  ship. 
This  was  about  nine  o'clock  at  night.  I  went  ashore 
and  found  the  Admiral  at  the  Falmouth,  where  he 
made  his  quarters.  The  hotel  corridors  were  filled 
with  reporters  and  other  curious  people.  The  Admiral 
planned  to  have  the  ships  come  up  the  harbor,  two 
abreast.  On  m^'  reminding  him  how  we  sailed  in  the 
"  Terror  "  ( then  the  "  Agamenticus  ")  from  Portsmouth 
some  years  before,  and  what  a  bad  steering  ship  she 
was,  he  readil}'  recalled  the  trip,  and  with  a  smile  made 
his  dispositions  accordingh\  About  midnight  he  com- 
pleted his  preparations  to  go  to  the  United  States  ships, 
and  I  was  ordered  to  the  "  ^^lonarch."  When  I  went 
out  to  her  in  the  morning  on  the  government  tug  the 
reporters  from  New  York  and  Boston  wanted  to  go 
with  me,  and  I  took  them.  I  was  glad  to  show  them 
the  depth  of  water  in  Portland  Harbor  at  low  tide,  as 
a  bitter  controversy  had  been  raging  between  Boston 
and   New  York  papers  as   to  the   respective  depths   of 


ANOTHER    GREAT    XAVAL    PAGEANT.  I 39 

water  in  those  harbors,  each  contending  that  a  big 
battleship  like  the  "Monarch"  could  not  get  into  the 
waters  of  the  other.  The  chance  to  show  them  the 
capacity  of  our  harbor  was  too  good  to  be  missed. 

When  the  "^Monarch"  came  up  the  water  was 
low,  as  it  happened,  and  I  called  the  attention  of  the 
reporters  to  that  fact,  inviting  them  to  stand  by  the 
man  who  was  heaving  the  sounding  lead.  The  shoal- 
est  water  we  got  all  the  way  up  was  eight  fathoms. 
They  were  much  surprised  at  the  depth  and,  I  believe, 
made  mention  of  the  wonderful  capabilities  of  Portland 
Harbor  in  their  correspondence. 

The  "Monarch"  was  escorted  up  the  harbor  by 
the  "  Plymouth,"  "  Miantonomah,"  and  "Terror,"  and 
salutes  repeatedl}'  fired  during  the  progress.  By  one 
of  these  discharges,  in  which  sixt}-  pounds  of  powder 
were  used,  the  glass  windows  in  the  pilot  house  of  the 
"  Miantonomah "  were  shattered,  and  the  captain  and 
pilot  driven  down  on  deck.  The  procession  up  to  the 
wharves  was  the  greatest  naval  pageant  ever  seen  in 
these  waters,  and  one  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those 
who  witnessed  it.  Thousands  of  people  crowded  the 
wharves,  and  lined  the  streets  through  which  the 
funeral  cortege  passed  on  its  wa\'  to  City  Hall,  where 
the  body  of  the  great  philanthropist  was  to  lie  in  state. 
It  was  one  of  those  beautiful  days,  sometimes  seen  in  a 
New  England  winter,  when  everything  is  encased  in 
armor  of  frost.  The  rigging  of  the  ships  in  the  har- 
bor was  covered  witli  ice,  the  twigs  of  the  trees  were 
coated  with  it ;  and  as  the  sun  struck  upon  them  tlic 
spectacle  was  one  beautiful  to  look  upon.  Tlic  city 
and  the  ships  seemed  sheathed  in  glass. 

Another  Great  Xaval  Pageant.  —  This  was 
not  the  onh'  great  naval   pageant  in  which   1   partici- 


140  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

pated.  I  had  the  pleasure,  in  1S60,  of  piloting  the 
British  warship  "Hero"  into  Portland  Harbor,  when 
that  vessel  came  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  back  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  who  was  just  finishing  his  visit  to 
these  shores;  and  I  also  took  in  the  battleship  "Nile," 
sent  from  Halifax  to  act  as  the  "Hero's"  escort. 
When  the  Prince  went  on  board  and  the  3'ard-arms 
were  manned,  it  was  a  prett}'  sight  to  see.  He  stood 
on  the  pilot  bridge,  going  down  the  harbor,  with  the 
Duke  of  Newcastle  b}-  his  side.  The  Duke's  head-gear 
was  novel  to  Western  eyes,  and  the  irrev^erent  specta- 
tors raised  a  shout  of  "Oh,  what  a  hat!" 

But  however  the  hat  looked,  the  manning  of  the 
yard-arms  was  as  handsome  a  sight  as  I  ever  saw. 
The  sailors  sprang  to  their  places  in  a  moment,  at  the 
word  of  command,  and  remained  there  as  still  as  statues 
while  the  ceremony  was  going  on.  The  spectacle  was 
witnessed  bj-  a  great  crowd  of  people,  for  the  cit}^  was 
thronged  during  the  Prince's  brief  visit.  Man}-  of  our 
old  citizens,  then  3'oung,  will  remember  the  occasion 
and  the  gala  appearance  Portland  presented. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

I       BECOME      AN        INVENTOR,      AND       PATENT      A      LIFE-PRESERVER. 

ANOTHER   FRUITLESS    SEARCH    FOR    THE    SEA  SERPENT. A  FUNNY 

FOURTH      OF     JULY      IN      PORTLAND. HOW      THE     HAND-ORGANS 

PLAYED     IN    LINCOLN     PARK. AN     EARNEST     PLEA     FOR     LIGHT- 

H(JUSE     IMPROVEMENT. 

7\  FTER  having  several  close  calls  from  being 
drowned  I  began  to  reflect  that  "  self-preservation 
is  the  first  law  of  nature,"  and  so  invented  a  rubber 
life-preserver,  of  which  the  accompan3'ing  cut  conveys 
a  good  idea,  and  had  it  patented.  It  has  been  pro- 
nounced the  neatest  and  most  convenient  article  of  the 
kind  ever  found  of  practical  use.  Its  advantages  over 
the  ordinar}'  belt  life-preserver  lie  in  the  peculiarit\'  of 
construction,  which  retains  the  flat,  belt-like  shape 
when  inflated,  its  exceeding  lightness,  and  its  compact- 
ness. In  the  diagram  the  sectional  view  shows  the 
walls,  which  keep  it  in  form;  the  partitions  being  per- 
forated so  as  to  allow  the  air  to  pass  freely  to  all  parts. 
It  is  so  compact  that  it  can  be  worn  under  the 
clothing,  either  about  the  waist  or  under  the  arms, 
without  discovery,  being  secured  in  position  by  tapes 
as  shown  in  the  diagram.  The  inflating  tube  is  flexi- 
ble, and  when  the  time  for  use  arrives  can  be  inflated 
in  an  instant ;  the  wearer  thus  being  prepared  at  once 
for  the  emergency.  It  lias  been  found  of  especial  ben- 
efit to  bathers,  as  its  si/e  and  form  wlicn  inflated  are 
such  as  not  to  impede  the  motions  of  the  swimmer, 
and  in  cases  of  cramp  has  rendered  inestimable  service. 
I  had  it  made  in  six  sizes,  from  thirty-two  to  forty-four 


MV    CRUISE    FOR    THE    vSEA    SERPENT.  1 43 

inches  in  length,  each  when  inflated  being  only  two 
inches  thick;  and  it  proved  very  popular  with  sea- 
faring men  and  all  whom  business  or  pleasure  leads 
upon  the  water. 

The  summer  of  187 1  the  pilot  boat  was  used  for 
fishing  and  sailing  parties  to  the  islands,  and  longer 
cruises  along  the  coast.  That  fall  I  took  the  Richards 
brothers,  who  came  down  river  from  Richmond  in  a 
cat-boat,  on  a  gunning  excursion  which  lasted  ten  da3's. 
We  had  good  sport  and  secured  lots  of  game.  The 
summer  of  1872  was  also  good  for  fishing,  and  the  luck 
was  satisfactor}'.  The  sea  serpent  w^as  reported  off  the 
coast  this  year,  and  I  cruised  two  da^-s  for  him,  but 
failed  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  monster. 

My  Cruise  for  the  Sea  Serpent.  —  In  the 
summer  of  1873,  if  I  remember  rightl}^,  the  sea  serpent 
was  again  reported,  off  Boon  Island  this  time.  As  my 
boat  was  receiving  new  rigging,  I  called  on  Captain 
Paul,  of  the  yacht  "Viva,"  to  see  if  he  would  go  out. 
He  could  not,  but  gave  me  the  use  of  his  yacht  to 
cruise  as  long  as  I  pleased.  I  got  the  following  crew: 
K.  D,  Atwood,  Alex  Ta^dor,  Theophilus  Hopkins,  E. 
Smith,  and  one  or  two  others,  with  Mr.  George  O. 
Gosse  as  passenger.  We  cruised  between  Wood  Island 
and  Boon  Island  the  first  da}-,  anchoring  at  Wood 
Island  that  night.  The  next  morning  we  got  under 
way,  cruising  broad  off  shore  and  to  the  eastward. 
When  off  Seguin  we  learned  that  the  serpent  had  been 
seen  the  da}-  before.  We  cruised  as  far  east  as  Mon- 
hegan  Island,  and  not  seeing  anything  came  home. 
The  same  day  that  we  started  for  home,  as  we  learned 
afterwards,  the  serpent  was  seen  about  eight  or  ten 
miles  to  the  eastward  of  us.  He  was  seen  by  two  or 
three  captains  of  fishing  vessels.     The}-  were  in  sight 


144  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

of  him  some  two  or  three  hours,  and  one  of  the  schoon- 
ers started  in  search,  but  the  wind  being  light  could 
not  gain  on  him.  All  who  saw  him  give  the  same 
description  of  his  head  and  neck,  and  say  that  he  was 
going  about  four  miles  an  hour,  but  as  to  the  bod}' 
and  length  thej^  vary.  They  agree  that  he  was  only 
seen  on  calm,  hot  da^^s. 

I  was  well  prepared  with  all  kinds  of  implements 
and  four  hundred  fathoms  of  line,  and  I  had  ni}^  mind 
made  up  not  to  harpoon  him  until  near  enough  to  the 
head  to  strike  him  between  the  eyes  and  destroy  his 
sight  at  first  stroke,  and  take  my  chances  to  back  off 
from  the  lashing  of  his  tail.  When  clear  of  the  tail,  I 
would  give  him  all  of  the  line  by  putting  half  barrels 
on  each  one-hundred-fathom  section.  Then  I  could 
watch  his  movements  from  the  first  half  barrel  and 
wait  and  let  the  iron  do  the  killing.  But  the  chance 
to  test  this  plan  never  came.  This  season  the  serpent 
came  on  the  coast  with  the  herring  and  went  east  into 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  in  which  he  was  seen  several  times 
during-  the  summer.  He  went  off  the  coast  when  the 
herring  went.  The  last  time  he  was  reported  was  by 
one  of  our  New  York  steamers  when  within  about  thirty 
miles  of  Cape  Cod.  It  is  my  opinion  that  his  native 
home  is  deep  in  the  ocean  and  that  he  onlj-  comes  up 
after  food,  near  the  surface,  and  perhaps  at  long  inter- 
vals. If  not  a  real  sea  serpent  he  has  a  head  and  neck 
resembling  one,  and  is  certainl}^  a  strange  monster  of 
the  deep. 

Though  a  great  many  disbelieve  in  the  existence 
of  the  sea  serpent  there  are  numerous  and  well-authen- 
ticated instances  in  which  he  has  been  seen.  No  longer 
ago  than  1833  five  officers  of  the  British  ami}-  sailed  in 
a  yacht  on  a  fishing  excursion  out  of  Halifax,  Nova 


HOW    THE    HAXD-ORGANS    PLAYED.  1 45 

Scotia.  Thc}^  got  out  farther  to  sea  than  they  wished, 
and  were  returning  in  tlie  afternoon  when  their  atten- 
tion was  called  to  leeward  by  an  exclamation  of  the 
old  sailor  who  was  acting  as  steersman  of  the  boat. 
Looking  to  leeward  they  beheld,  according  to  their 
sworn  testimony  sent  to  the  London  Zoolofjisi,  "  at  the 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  fift}-  to  two  hundred  yards, 
on  our  starboard  bow,  the  head  and  neck  of  some  deni- 
zen of  the  deep,  preciseh'  like  those  of  a  common  snake, 
in  the  act  of  swimming,  the  head  so  far  elevated  and 
thrown  forward  by  the  curve  of  the  neck  as  to  enable 
us  to  see  the  water  under  and  beyond  it.  Tlie  creature 
rapid!}'  passed,  leaving  a  regular  wake,  from  the  com- 
mencement of  which  to  the  forepart,  which  was  out  of 
the  water,  we  judged  its  length  to  be  about  eight}-  feet, 
and  this  is  within  rather  than  beyond  the  mark.  It  is 
most  difBcult  to  give  correctly  the  dimensions  of  any 
object  in  the  water;  but  the  head  of  the  creature 
appeared  to  be  about  six  feet  in  length,  and  the  portion 
of  the  neck  we  saw  the  same.  In  thickness  the  neck 
equaled  the  trunk  of  a  moderate-sized  tree.  The  head 
and  neck  were  of  a  dark  brown  or  nearly  black  color, 
streaked  with  white  in  irregular  streaks." 

How  THE  Hand-Organs  Played  in  Lincoln 
Park. — In  the  summer  of  1873  our  city  gOYernment 
held  some  stormy  meetings  concerning  a  celebration 
on  the  Fourth  of  July,  but  failed  to  raise  any  money. 
We  boys,  young  and  old,  were  not  satisfied  with  simplv 
ringing  of  bells,  so  several  of  us  "  chipped  in"  to  have 
some  fun  and  a  good  celebration  at  not  much  expense. 
We  sent  a  telegram  to  Boston  to  Mr.  W.  T.  Brown,  to 
see  for  what  price  he  could  get  twenty  hand-organs 
to  come  to  Portland  and  play  all  day.  The  price  given 
was    fiYe    dollars   each    and   expenses.      We    sent   for 


146  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

tliem  to  be  here  in  the  morning  on  the  Boston  boat.  I 
called  on  ]\Ia3^or  Wescott,  and  got  a  permit  to  put  the 
bands  in  Lincoln  Park.  He  said  that  Chandler's  Band 
was  engaged  to  give  a  concert  in  the  evening.  I 
promised  him  we  would  take  our  bands  off  the  park  by 
six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  send  them  back  to 
Boston  b}'  the  seven  o'clock  boat.     I  left  him  laughing. 

The  evening  and  morning  papers  had  notices  that 
twenty  bands  were  coming  from  Boston  on  the  steamer 
to  play  in  Lincoln  Park,  and  that  the  best  German  and 
Italian  music  might  be  expected.  On  the  arrival  of 
the  hand-organs  here  they  were  escorted  from  the  boat 
to  Mr.  Bibber's,  on  India  Street.  At  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning  the}--  were  escorted  to  the  park  with  orders 
to  receive  no  money  from  the  public  on  penalty  of 
being  discharged.  On  arrival  at  the  park  they  were 
placed  side  by  side,  and  the  tunes  permitted  to  mix. 
Eight  of  them  were  placed  around  the  fountain  and 
the  others  at  the  different  walks  coming  into  the  park. 
There  they  stood  five  hours  in  the  forenoon  and  five 
in  the  afternoon,  not  saying  a  word  to  au}^  one  and 
playing  awa}^  for  dear  life.  I  have  never  seen  so 
many  people  in  the  park  since  it  was  opened.  It  was 
crowded  all  day,  as  there  was  no  other  spot  in  the  whole 
city  to  see  any  fun.  Everybody  I  met  felt  pleased 
with  the  music  and  the  crowd  went  off  the  park  shout- 
ing with  laughter.  The  bands  were  paid  off  at  Bibber's, 
highly  pleased  with  their  pav  and  treatment  and  wish- 
ing to  come  again. 

I  am  in  favor  of  a  fair  celebration  on  the  Fourth 
of  July.  It  brings  lots  of  money  into  the  city  and 
some,  even  many,  get  a  benefit  in  all  kinds  of  trade. 
Our  citizens  here  are  pajnng  taxes  to  run  the  city  gov- 
ernment, and  our  city  fathers  should  do  something  to 


OUR    LIGHT-HOl\SES.  147 

celebrate  one  day  in  the  3'ear  at  least.  If  they  want  a 
cheap  celebration,  I  advise  them  to  send  to  Boston  and 
get  an  army  of  hand-organs  at  five  dollars  apiece  and 
expenses.  IMany  teams  were  on  this  occasion  offered 
us  free  to  take  the  organs  and  march  around  town, 
more  particularly  to  serenade  those  gentlemen  that 
voted  against  a  celebration. 

Our  Light-Houses.  —  In  the  course  of  these 
recollections  considerable  has  been  said  of  our  light- 
houses, and  further  facts  concerning  those  most  famil- 
iar may  be  of  interest.  The  building  of  Portland 
Head  Light-house  began  in  1788,  and  it  was  finished 
and  first  lighted  Januarv  10,  1791. 

The  building  of  Half  \\  a}^  Rock  Light-house 
began  in  1869,  and  it  was  first  lighted  August  15, 
187 1.  This  light  is  very  valuable  to  masters  and  pilots 
coming  into  Portland  from  the  east,  and  no  doubt  has 
saved  man}-  lives  and  a  large  amount  of  property.  B3' 
its  aid  vessels  get  into  port  or  shelter  from  strong  gales, 
when  otherwise  the}-  would  have  to  haul  off  from  the 
coast  and  take  the  consequences.  Many  coasters, 
perhaps  most,  are  not  prepared  to  meet  bad  gales. 

The  light-house  board  made  a  bad  mistake  in 
1855,  when  the  western  Cape  Light  was  discontinued. 
Captains  on  long  vo3-ages  and  unaware  of  the  change 
would,  on  reaching  the  coast  by  night  and  seeing  but 
one  light,  invariabl}^  keep  off  if  the  wind  were  fair,  and 
go  to  Seguin.  There,  too,  they  would  find  but  one 
light,  and  in  consequence  would  be  completely  puzzled 
as  to  their  position.  Several  vessels  came  near  being 
wrecked  by  the  change.  In  1856  the  pilots  and 
masters  petitioned  Congress  for  a  return  of  the  old 
method  of  lighting,  and  the  change  back  to  two  lights 
was  made. 


148  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Portland  Head  Light  has  been  cut  down  twenty 
feet  (I  think  twice,  the  last  time  in  1883)  and  the 
power  reduced  from  second  order  to  fourth  order  lens. 
It  could  not  be  seen  far  in  even  clear  weather.  Mr. 
Robinson's  house  near  Pond  Cove  used  to  have  a  lamp 
at  the  window  which  was  as  bright  as  that  at  the  Head. 
Probably  they  used  dogfish  oil.  After  continual  pro- 
test by  pilots  and  masters  a  reef  was  shook  out  and 
hoisted  up  twenty  feet  and  the  second  power  lens  put 
back.  There  has  been  no  change  since,  and  I  hope 
there  never  will  be  again,  as  the  light  is  satisfactory 
to  all  mariners.  While  I  was  in  the  pilot  boat  "  Nettle  " 
I  had  a  good  chance  to  see  the  lights,  and  cheerfully 
give  all  the  light-house  keepers  credit  for  keeping  the 
lights  in  first-class  order.  I  don't  cruise  outside  nowa- 
days, but  think  of  those  wdio  do.  People  who  stay  at 
home  and  live  in  rooms  kept  at  seventy  to  seventj^-five 
degrees  of  heat  don't  know  much  about  the  weather 
outside,  or  the  hardships  on  the  water  in  the  cold 
winters. 

An  Earnest  Plea  for  the  Fog-Bell.  —  Mas- 
ters and  pilots  need  a  good  bell  on  the  Breakwater,  but 
some  of  our  light-house  inspectors  are  opposed  to  it. 
A  strong  petition  has  been  offered  and  ignored.  It 
should  be  heeded.  Portland  Harbor  will  never  be  as  it 
should  be  until  a  decent  bell  that  can  be  heard  is  put 
up  and  a  light  at  Spring  Point.  I  may  not  need  it,  but 
those  who  follow  me  will.  No  less  than  two  and  a  half 
million  people  pass  in  and  out  of  this  harbor  yearly, 
and  a  great  amount  of  property  is  carried  to  and  fro. 
Big  ocean  carriers  in  winter,  passenger  and  pleasure 
boats  in  summer,  costly  yachts  from  New  York  and  all 
along  the  coast,  ply  our  waters.  It  is  criminal  to  put 
all  this  to  risk.     I  am  surprised  that  any  government 


AN    EARNEST    PLEA    FOR   THE    FOG-BELL.  149 

officer  sent  to  observe  this  coast  and  its  harbors  should 
think  a  proper  bell  dangerous  or  misleading,  and  as 
long  as  I  live  shall  never  cease  to  work  for  it.  When 
I  am  gone  I  hope  ni}-  friends  will  keep  the  good  work 
up  until  our  masters  and  pilots  have  what  the}-  and 
the  public  need  for  the  protection  of  life  and  property. 

The  bell  buo}-  put  near  the  Breakwater  by  the 
government  in  1893  is  entirely  useless  for  its  destined 
purpose,  though  it  might  do  well  enough  as  a  roost  for 
the  swans  that  swim  in  the  little  pond  in  Deering's 
Oaks.  Side-wheel  steamers,  after  passing  the  buoy, 
sometimes  ring  the  bell  by  the  motion  of  their  wheels 
in  the  water ;  but  propellers  and  sailing  vessels  would 
have  to  run  into  it  to  make  it  sound. 

I  am  glad  to  learn  that  the  government  is  about 
to  place  a  bell  on  Stanford  Ledge  to  be  rung  by  elec- 
tricit}'.  It  has  been  needed  for  years,  and  steamboat 
captains  and  pilots  will  rejoice.  When  a  light  and 
bell  have  been  placed  on  Spring  Point  Ledge  they  will 
rejoice  still  more,  and  feel  safe  in  entering  our  harbor 
in  any  weather,  no  matter  how  thick. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

DAYS    WHEN     A     HOGSHEAD     OF     COAL     LASTED     PORTLAND     A     WHOLE 

SEASON. MR.    SAMUEL    E.    SPRING    AND    THE    GOVERNMENT     SALE 

OF    CIGARS. GUNNING    ON    RICHMOND    ISLAND. FORMATION    OF 

THE    WILLARD    SHOOTING    ASSOCIATION. PAT    AND    THE    LOON. 

TOURING  all  these  years  the  stevedoring  business  in 
Portland  had  increased,  steam-hoisting  engines 
largely  taking  the  place  of  horses.  The  coal  trade 
steadily  developed,  until  it  has  now  reached  unexpected 
proportions.  It  was  about  1826,  I  am  told,  that  Capt. 
John  Waite  brought  the  first  hard  coal  to  Portland 
from  Philadelphia  in  a  hogshead  lashed  on  his  quarter- 
deck. He  brought,  too,  an  open-grate  stove  to  burn  it 
in;  and  when  he  started  the  fire  all  the  neighbors 
flocked  to  his  house  to  see  him  burn  "the  rocks,"  as 
they  called  them.  The  next  3'ear  he  brought  sixty 
tons  and  several  more  stoves.  AMien  I  began  steve- 
doring, in  1853,  about  11,000  tons  were  brought  to  this 
port.  In  1894  the  total  number  was  653,000,  and  the 
demand  is  constantly  increasing. 

A  Curious  Transaction  in  Cigars.  —  But  coal 
was  not  the  only  commodity  I  handled.  Man^-  3'ears 
ago  the  government  sold  over  200,000  cigars,  stored  in 
a  warehouse  on  Atlantic  Wharf.  The  da}'  before  the 
sale  people  had  the  privilege  of  sampling  them,  and 
Mr.  Samuel  E.  Spring  called  on  me  to  go  down  with 
him.  On  going  through  the  cigars  we  came  across 
one  lot  of  40,000,  with  a  rough  wrapper  on  them,  and 
on  cutting  the  cigars  open  found  long  fillers  and  splen- 
did  tobacco.      The  most   of  them  were   fanc}-  brands 


A    CURIOUS    TRANSACTION    IN    CIGARS.  151 

with  smooth  and  handsome  wrappers,  but  filled  with 
poor  tobacco.  This  lot  was  an  exception.  Mr.  Spring 
said  to  me  if  he  bought  an}-  I  could  have  them  at  cost. 
The  fancy  brands  were  sold  first.  The  bidder  was  to 
take  nothing  less  than  5,000,  but  more  if  he  so  wished. 
When  the  40,000  were  sold  there  was  slow  bidding; 
those  present  supposing  that  ^Ir.  Spring,  who  made  a 
bid,  only  wanted  a  small  lot  for  his  own  use. 

The  cigars  were  sold  to  Mr.  Spring,  and  when 
asked  how  many  he  wanted  he  said  he  would  take  the 
lot,  and  asked  me  how  many  I  would  take.  I  told  him 
5,000.  A  few  days  later  my  friend,  Doctor  Gale,  wanted 
200  or  300  to  try  the  brand,  and  I  sold  them  to  him. 
Shortly  after  a  Custom  House  officer  called  on  me  and 
asked  me  if  I  sold  some  cigars  to  Doctor  Gale.  I  told 
him  that  I  did.  He  said  that  he  should  have  to  impose 
a  fine  on  me  for  selling  cigars  without  the  government 
stamp.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  know  that  I  was 
liable,  as  I  bought  them  for  mv  own  use  and  was  not 
in  the  habit  of  selling  cigars,  but  let  the  doctor  have 
those  to  tr}'.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  joking  or  in  ear- 
nest. He  said  he  was  in  earnest,  and  was  quite  stiff 
about  it.  I  told  him  the  cigars  were  bought  b}'  Air. 
S.  E.  Spring  at  government  auction  at  Atlantic  Wharf 
some  days  before.  He  asked,  "Are  these  tlie  cigars?  " 
I  told  him  the}'  were,  and  that  was  the  last  that  I 
heard  about  the  matter. 

Sometime  in  the  seventies  Collector  Washburn 
thought  I  was  a  smuggler,  and  put  mc  under  one 
thousand  dollar  bonds,  Mr.  William  Scnter  becouiing 
ni}^  bondsman.  I  was  much  surprised  at  the  charge, 
but  discovered  subsequently  that  it  was  made  to  divert 
the  attention  of  the  real  offenders  and  give  the  officers 
a  chance  to  pounce  upon  them. 


152  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

Gunning  and  Game  on  Richmond's  Island. — 
In  the  spring  of  1879  we  gnnners  chartered  the  sloop 
"  Rocky  Mountain,"  Capt.  Ben  Hamilton,  to  go  for  a 
shooting  trip.  We  were  all  day  getting  to  Richmond's 
Island.  Game  was  plentiful  and  we  had  fine  sport. 
Mr.  J.  F.  Randall  and  Capt.  Ben  Hamilton  in  one  boat, 
Joseph  F.  Fowler  and  myself,  in  the  other,  went  near  the 
Kirkwood  House  and  had  our  decoys  all  set  before  day- 
light. As  soon  as  daylight  the  game  came  plenty  and 
over  the  decoys,  near  enough  to  see  their  eyes.  Fowler 
would  shoot  on  his  side  of  the  boat,  and  I  on  mine. 
He  would  let  go  two  barrels  and  I  the  same.  I  would 
ask,  "What  you  got.  Fowler?"  He  would  say,  "Noth- 
ing, what  you  got?"  "Nothing,"  would  be  my  reply. 
The  fact  was  we  could  not  shoot  well  on  the  wing,  but 
we  had  a  good  chance  to  practice  and  kept  at  it. 
Sometimes  a  large  flock  would  come  near  and  we 
would  give  them  four  barrels,  bring  down  five  or  six, 
and  get  them.  The}-  were  so  thick  that  the  shot  would 
take  them  three  or  four  feet  from  where  we  pointed. 
So  we  were  shooting  behind  them.  When  one  would 
light  at  the  decoys  we  had  him.  We  used  muzzle- 
loaders,  but  this  time  I  had  Mr.  George  Round's  breech- 
loader. The  game  would  come  right  back  again 
before  we  could  load  the  muzzle-loaders,  and  by  having 
the  two  guns  I  got  mixed  up  a  little.  As  my  gun  was 
half  loaded  when  the  game  came  I  would  pick  up  the 
breech-loader  and  fire.  Finally  I  got  two  charges  of 
shot  in  one  barrel  and  two  of  powder  in  the  other. 
When  game  came  one  barrel  would  not  kill  and  the 
other  would  not  go  off.  Then  Fowler  had  the  laugh 
on  me.  At  noon,  when  our  ammunition  gave  out,  we 
had  about  twenty  birds,  mostly  of  the  coot  species.  We 
went  on  board  to  dinner,  got  a  new  suppl}^  of  ammuni- 


ADVANTAGES  OF  POSSESSING  A  BAROMETER.       1 53 

tion,  \vent  back,  and  set  the  decoys.  The  game  came 
as  flush  as  ever.  I  left  the  breech-loader  on  board  as 
the  cartridges  gave  out,  and  used  the  muzzle-loader. 
We  had  better  luck  in  the  afternoon  until  I  lost  my 
ramrod  while  ramming  the  wad  down.  The  air  sent  it 
some  fifteen  feet  overboard.  So  after  that  Fowler 
would  shoot  and  I  would  pick  them  up.  I  reall}-  think 
if  we  had  been  good  for  shooting  on  the  wing  with 
breech-loaders,  we  could  have  got  a  boat  full.  During 
the  da\'  we  got  thirty-eight  game,  and  thought  we  did 
well,  as  our  boat  was  high  line.  I  think  if  Randall 
and  Hamilton  had  had  our  places  they  could  have  got 
a  hundred.  We  all  had  great  sport  and  good  weather. 
The  party  in  three  da^^s  got  some  over  two  hundred 
game. 

The  Advantages  of  Possessing  a  Barometer. 
—  May  17,  1880,  the  yacht  "T.  B.  Davis"  was  char- 
tered with  Capt.  Nat  Haskell  for  a  shooting  trip,  and 
carried  the  following  party:  J.  F.  Randall,  Joseph  F. 
Fowler,  George  Stanwood,  Ben  Hamilton,  Taylor,  and 
myself.  We  had  good  sport.  Late  one  afternoon  we 
anchored  at  Stratton  Island.  The  wind  was  southwest 
with  not  a  cloud  to  be  seen.  After  supper  Mr.  Randall 
and  some  of  the  part}-  went  on  shore  to  get  milk  and 
eggs.  Soon  after  they  left  I  looked  at  the  barometer 
and  saw  it  was  falling  fast  and  a  gale  near  at  hand. 
Presently  the  boat  came  off.  At  this  time  it  was  calm. 
I  told  them  to  hoist  the  boats  on  deck.  We  would 
hoist  in  two  and  tow  one.  Several  said  it  would  be  a 
good  night  to  lay  there;  but  I  told  them  it  was  no  har- 
bor for  a  north  wind,  and  the  anchor  would  not  hold 
her  off  the  rocks.  The  first  whiff  of  wind  we  got 
under  wa^-  to  go  to  Richmond's  Harbor.  Before  we 
got  a  mile  from  Stratton  Island  the  wind  came  with  a 


154  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

rush  and  we  liad  to  shorten  sail  at  once.  It  was  a  cold 
north  wind,  and  when  we  anchored  at  Richmond's 
Harbor  it  took  both  anchors  to  hold  her.  The  wind 
was  a  gale  with  plenty  of  white  caps  on  the  water. 
The  next  day  was  good  for  gunning  and  game.  We 
gunned  in  the  forenoon  and  came  home  in  the  after- 
noon with  all  the  game  we  wanted ;  and  when  we  arrived 
home,  all  that  wanted  a  pair  of  birds  had  them  free. 
It  was  fun  to  see  the  game  go  up  Commercial  Street. 
Everybody  knew  that  the  gunners  had  got  home. 

This  shows  the  advantage  of  a  barometer.  I  got 
one  in  1859,  ^^'^i^i^  I  bought  the  pilot  boat  "Nettle," 
have  made  a  close  study  of  it  ever  since,  and  still  keep 
it.  The  farmers  should  have  one  to  tell  them  when  to 
cut  the  grass.  Oftentimes  they  cut  it  on  a  high  glass 
because  it  is  clear  and  hot  weather.  Then  come  east 
winds  and  fog,  and  the  grass  turns  black  before  they  get 
sun  to  make  it.  Should  the  sun  come  out  at  noon  for  a 
short  time  it  heats  the  grass,  which  is  bad  for  the  ha3^ 

May  7,  1881,  the  fishing  schooner  "Agnes  Bell" 
was  chartered  by  our  gunning  part}-  for  a  fourteen 
days'  cruise  to  the  eastward.  We  wanted  to  go  to 
Point  La  Prow  for  brant  shooting,  but  were  baffled. 
We  had  the  wind  east  and  raining  most  of  the  time, 
and  the  barometer  was  high  all  of  the  trip.  G.  F. 
Loveitt  and  myself  thought  we  would  open  the  barom- 
eter to  see  if  we  could  get  better  weather.  On  turning 
a  screw  on  the  back  she  went  down  to  typhoon  mark; 
so  we  turned  back  the  screw  and  let  her  rest.  We  got 
as  far  east  as  Crumple  Island  and  went  ashore  to  see 
the  Portland  gunning  part}^  which  was  there.  Mr. 
Martin,  who  was  of  the  part}-,  treated  me  to  a  pop 
cocktail.  I  can't  say  what  the  others  took.  I  give 
this  party  credit  for  saving  lives  from  wrecks  in  a  gale, 


%    y^  -sr- 

.^^tmM 

^ 

""  ^^r^^^^^^^^^K^^  ■   S^Wv^^^^^T^W^^^^^ 

^" 

J.    N.    MARTIN,    PRESIDENT     OF     THE     WILLARD     SHOOTING     ASSOCIATION. 


156  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

when  on  one  of  these  cruises,  by  going  to  an  island 
inside,  breaking  in  the  door  of  the  life-saving  boat- 
house,  getting  the  life-boat  out,  and  saving  the  crews. 
The  life  savers  were  off  pay  until  fall,  and  so  no  one 
was  at  the  station.  After  that  government  bought 
part  of  Crumple  Island,  as  it  was  an  outside  island. 

During  our  trip  east  we  only  captured  one  hun- 
dred and  thirt}^  sea  game.  On  the  way  home  we  saw 
lots  of  game,  but  it  was  too  rough  and  rainy  to  go  in 
small  boats  for  them. 

The  Willard  Shooting  Association. — ^January 
27,  1881,  the  Willard  Shooting  Association  was  organ- 
ized with  Mr.  J.  N.  Martin,  President,  and  Capt.  B.  J. 
Willard,  Vice-President.  The  association  leased  land 
of  Ami  Whitney,  in  Falmouth  Foreside,  and  put  up  a 
club-house  that  cost  $250.  After  the  house  was  built 
and  ready  we  had  fine  sport  shooting  glass  balls  from 
the  trap  for  practice.  We  invited  other  clubs  from  the 
state  and  had  good,  friendly  shoots  on  our  grounds. 
During  1882  we  returned  their  visits. 

April  19,  1883,  we  had  a  very  interesting  match 
game  at  the  club  grounds  at  Falmouth  with  the  River- 
side Club  of  Topsham,  Me.  The  match  was  very  close 
and  the  score  as  follows : 

WILLARD    SHOOTING    ASSOCIATION. 
Single  pigeons,  20.     Double  pigeons,  8      Glass  balls,  20.     Total,  40  birds. 

Randall, 17 

Willard,     .......  20 

Harmon, 19 

Todd, 16 

McKenney, 15 

Davis, 17 

Martin, 15 

Noyes, 15 


19 

Total,  36 

17 

"   37 

17 

"   36 

15 

"   31 

15 

"   30 

16 

"  33 

17 

"   32 

16 

"   31 

PAT    AND    THE    BIG    DUCK.  1 57 

F.  Merrill, 15  17  Total,  32 

Deane, 13  16  "29 

Hawkins, 16  17  "33 

Hall, 13  13  "26 

Day, 14  19  ''33 

205        214  419 

RIVERSIDE    CLUB. 
Single  pigeons,  20.     Double  pigeons,  8.     Glass  balls,  20.     Total,  40  birds. 

C.  L.  York, 14  14  Total,  28 

A.  L.  Goud, 15  18  ''33 

C.  Goud, 15  17  "32 

G.  Goud, 18  14  "      32 

A.  Hall, 16  16  "32 

Mc.  Hall, 19  17  "36 

C.  Winslow, 15  15  "30 

A.  Perry, 16  16  "      32 

C.  Hayes, 20  16  "36 

S.  Knight, 14  18  "32 

H.  Stetson, 15  15  "      30 

G.  E.  Keene, 12  11  "23 

S.  Strout, 15  16  "31 

204        203  407 

Pat  and  the  Big  Duck. — Ma}-  5,  1882,  we  gun- 
ners chartered  the  pilot  boat  "Maggie,"  Captain  Poor, 
to  go  shooting  between  Richmond  Island  and  Wood 
Island.  The  part}-  consisted  of  J.  F.  Randall,  J.  F. 
Fowler,  Mr.  Farrington,  and  myself.  Randall  and 
Fowler  went  in  one  boat,  G.  F.  Loveitt  and  mA'self  in 
another;  Farrington  with  Captain  Poor.  We  had  the 
best  fun  shooting  that  we  had  seen  for  a  long  time. 
Loveitt  and  ^l3^self  bagged  fift3'-two  sea  game  in  two 
and  one-half  hours  at  what  is  called  "Old  Proprietor." 
The  game  came  so  fast  our  guns  got  hot,  so  the}-  were 
uncomfortable  to  handle.     After  shooting  four  daj'S  we 


158  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

returned  home,  having  three  hundred  and  thirteen 
birds  total,  ninety-six  of  which  were  old  squaws. 
When  we  were  at  the  wharf  all  parties  coming  for 
birds  were  given  a  pair,  and  the  birds  were  flying  all 
over  the  city.  I  saw  a  man  on  the  wharf  by  the  name 
of  Pat  and  asked  him  if  he  did  not  want  a  mess  of 
birds.  He  said  he  did,  and  I  told  him  to  come  down 
the  ladder  and  get  them.  I  gave  him  two,  and  Pat 
asked  me  what  I  was  going  to  do  with  that  big  duck. 
I  told  him  he  could  have  him  if  he  wished.  The  big 
duck  was  a  monstrous  big  loon,  nearly  three  feet  long. 
When  Pat  got  on  the  wharf  he  took  the  pair  of  birds 
in  one  hand  and  the  loon  by  the  legs  in  the  other,  its 
head  dragging  on  the  ground.  I  never  learned  how 
Pat  got  the  feathers  off  from  him. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

HOW     THE      "BROOKLYN"      STRUCK      ON      HOG     ISLAND      LEDGE. OLD 

NEPTUNE    VISITS    THE    PILOT    P.OAT    "  MAGGIE "    AND    SHAVES    THE 

PASSENGERS. MR.    STROUT'S    ENCOUNTER    WITH    A    SWORD-FISH. 

SOMETHING    ABOUT    SPANISH    MACKEREL. 

7\  BOUT  eleven  o'clock  the  night  of  April  6,  1883, 
the  steamship  "Brooklyn"  of  the  Dominion  Line 
steamed  out  to  sea  on  her  way  across  the  Atlantic  —  a 
trip  she  was  not  destined  to  complete  that  time  tr3'ing. 
Being  the  stevedore  for  the  line,  I  was  on  the  wharf 
with  Captain  Reed  and  Messrs.  Torrance  and  Scanlan 
to  see  the  ship  off,  and  then  went  home. 

About  midnight  my  door  bell  rang  violently,  and 
on  answering  it  I  found  ]\Ir.  Dufriends,  who  said  that 
the  "Brookh'n"  was  in  trouble  down  the  harbor  and 
sending  up  rockets.  He  wanted  to  get  a  tug  boat  to 
go  to  her  relief.  ]\Ir.  Torrance  soon  after  drove  up  in 
a  hack,  and  we  went  to  Capt.  A.  S.  Oliver  to  engage 
the  tow-boat  "  Express."  As  soon  as  steam  was  up  we 
started.  Our  supposition  was  that  the  "Brooklyn" 
had  run  into  some  vessel,  and  then  anchored;  but  we 
found  her  ashore  on  the  southwest  point  of  Hog  Island 
Ledge.  Returning  to  the  city,  we  took  a  team  to  look 
up  lighters  to  go  down  in  the  morning  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible to  lighten  the  cargo.  We  tried  to  get  Captain 
Hamilton's  sloop,  the  "  M.  M.  Hamilton,"  but  she  was 
being  stripped  to  receive  a  gang  of  rigging.  So  we 
went  to  Knightville,  to  the  house  of  another  Captain 
Hamilton,  and  secured  all  the  lighters  we  wanted,  five 
or  six  in  number.    The  cargo  was  promptly  discharged, 


I — TT 


r.n^fi-.. 


CAPTAIN    WILLARD    AS    NEPTUNE. 


AN    INTERVIP:W    with    old    NEPTUNE.  l6l 

landed  at  the  Grand  Trunk  sheds,  and  later  sold  at 
auction.  The  Boston  steamer  was  obtained  from  Mr. 
Coyle  to  take  out  the  live  stock.  The  work  went  on 
night  and  day,  and  gave  employment  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  men.  At  the  same  time  I  had  two  ships  at  the 
wharf,  making  the  largest  paj^-roll  I  ever  had  in  one 
week  since  going  into  the  stevedoring  business.  I  had 
Mr.  Albert  B.  Hall  with  me  to  assist  in  paying  off  the 
laborers.  The  "Brookl^ai"  Avas  discharged,  floated, 
and  put  into  the  dr^-  dock,  where  temporary  repairs 
were  made  to  enable  her  to  cross  the  ocean. 

An  Interview  with  Old  Neptune-  —  May  ii, 
1883,  a  party  consisting  of  J-  F.  Randall,  Doctor  Cum- 
mings,  Doctor  Merrill,  Dr.  George  Fyre,  J.  F.  Fowler, 
G.  F.  Ivoveitt,  H.  Trefethen,  and  m3'Self  went  on  a  six 
days'  shooting  trip  in  the  pilot  boat  "  Maggie,"  Captain 
Parsons.  We  found  sport  good  and  bagged  four  hun- 
dred and  sixty-six  sea  game,  the  birds  being  given 
away  to  those  who  wished  for  them  when  we  got  home. 

Our  next  trip  gunning  in  the  "Maggie"  was  with 
about  the  same  party.  I  found  that  the  most  of  our 
sailors  had  never  crossed  the  equator,  so  thought  I 
would  have  some  fun.  I  called  at  Littlefield's  and  got 
a  suit  to  dress  up  as  Neptune;  a  mask,  long,  gra}- 
beard,  wig  to  match,  a  comical  hat,  and  a  suit  to  go 
with  it.  This  was  put  on  board  the  boat  in  charge  of 
the  cook,  who  was  enjoined  not  to  let  the  party  know 
anything  about  it.  I  called  on  Lyman,  Son  &  Tobey 
for  a  speaking  trumpet,  and  IMr.  Guptill  made  me  a 
present  of  one.  I  had  a  nice  razor  for  the  occasion, 
one  that  I  captured  at  a  whist  part}^  as  a  booby  prize. 
I  let  Mr.  Ivoveitt  into  the  secret,  and  told  him  when 
Neptune  hailed  the  ship  "Maggie"  to  call  all  the  sail- 
ors on  deck.     Wood   Island  Pool  was  to  answer  for  the 


LONG    HOURS    AND    SWEET    SLEEP.  163 

equator.  So  one  morning  after  breakfast,  while  the 
party  in  the  cabin  were  having  a  smoke,  I  went  on 
deck  to  the  forecastle  and  told  the  cook  to  pass  up  my 
box.  I  dressed  up  as  Neptune.  When  ready  I  hailed 
the  ship  "]\Iaggie."  Loveitt  came  out  of  the  gangway 
and  called  all  hands  on  deck.  When  on  deck  I  in- 
formed them  that  all  sailors  who  had  never  crossed  the 
equator  before  would  be  shaved  by  Neptune.  When 
the  razor  M'as  taken  out  of  the  case  it  was  found  to  be 
nearly  two  feet  in  length.  As  I  advanced  aft  to  per- 
form the  shaving  Doctor  Merrill  was  frightened  and 
started  to  jump  overboard.  Mr.  Randall  caught  him 
by  the  coat  and  I  advanced  and  gave  a  dry  shave. 
The  usual  custom  is  to  use  strong-smelling  slush  for 
lather.  I  looked  around  for  Doctor  Frye  and  he  had 
slunk  into  the  cabin.  I  sent  the  quartermaster  after 
him  and  he  brought  him  up.  About  the  time  I  got 
through  shaving  the  sailors,  Mr.  Husse}^,  of  W^ood 
Island  Pool,  rowed  off  with  some  clams  for  the  party. 
When  he  got  sight  of  Neptune  he  started  to  row  away, 
Neptune  told  him  to  come  back  for  he  would  not  hurt 
him.  Mr.  Hussey  said  that  he  had  read  a  good  deal 
about  Neptune,  but  never  saw  him  before. 

Long  Hours  and  Sweet  Sleep. — I  would  give 
the  morning  call  at  i  A.  ]\l,  for  the  gunners  to  turn 
out,  breakfast  at  1.30,  and  start  away  in  their  gunning 
boats  at  2  with  lunch  and  coffee  to  get  on  the  gunning 
ground  and  have  the  decoy  set  by  da^dight,  so  as  to 
be  ready  to  shoot  when  the  game  came.  Each  boat 
would  try  to  get  ahead  of  the  other  in  bagging  game. 
Usually  we  got  back  to  the  pilot  boat  about  4  p.  ^u, 
and  counted  the  game.  Then  it  was  clean  up  the  guns 
and  get  read\'  for  the  next  day,  and  then  have  supi^er. 
By  this  time  the  part}-  would  Ije  pretty  tired,  so  all 
slept  well. 


164  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

We  had  one  good  rule  and  kept  it  strictly,  and 
that  was  that  no  gunner  should  pass  his  gun  from  the 
pilot  boat  to  his  boat  loaded,  or  from  small  boat  to  pilot 
boat  loaded.  The  penalty  for  violation  of  this  rule  was 
a  dollar  fine.  By  this  means  we  never  had  any  acci- 
dents by  shooting.  When  two  men  were  in  the  boat 
the  man  forw^ard  would  keep  the  muzzle  of  his  gun 
pointing  forward,  and  the  man  aft,  the  muzzle  of  his 
pointed  aft ;  so  if  a  gun  should  be  accidentally  dis- 
charged nobody  would  get  hurt.  I  believe  Mr.  Fowler 
once  shot  a  dory  bird,  and  Tvlr.  Randall  a  boat  bird. 
On  this  trip  the  total  number  of  birds  bagged  was 
three  hundred  and  seventy-two,  mostly  old  squaws. 
There  were  only  sixteen  coots  in  the  lot. 

May  7,  1887,  the  part}'  was  smaller  and  we  gunned 
two  days,  getting  one  hundred  and  eleven  birds.  May 
10,  1888,  was  the  last  gunning  trip  I  made  in  the 
"Maggie,"  when  we  got  two  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
birds. 

SwoRD-FivSHiNG  BY  Steam.  —  In  the  summer  of 
1883  I  built  a  steam  water  boat,  called  the  "Fannie 
G.,"  to  tow  and  fill  water  in  my  hoisting  scows,  and 
September  2,  1884,  made  my  first  sword-fish  trip  in  her 
with  Capt.  D.  Peterson  and  the  following  part}- :  Hon. 
A.  A.  Strout,  Mr.  John  B.  Curtis,  John  Bacon,  of  Illi- 
nois, William  Taylor,  A.  H.  Mantine,  T.  E.  Sumner, 
of  New  York,  and  H.  T.  Strout.  We  left  Portland  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Sword-fish  was  reported  off  Cape  Porpoise.  When 
off  Boon  Island  we  saw  one,  but  could  not  get  near 
him.  In  the  afternoon  the  wind  breezed  up,  and  it  was 
some  chopp}^  We  harbored  at  Portsmouth  and  the 
party  stopped  at  a  hotel.  We  took  in  coal  and  water 
for  the  next  da^^     At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we 


vSWORD-FlSHING    BY    STEAM.        *  165 

started  down  river,  steamed  off  to  the  south  of  the  Isle 
of  Shoals,  among  several  vessels  looking  for  sword-fish, 
and  steamed  to  the  northeast.  About  ten  o'clock  we 
sighted  a  fish,  harpooned  him,  and  soon  had  him  on 
board.  About  eleven,  in  running  down  towards  Boon 
Island,  I  saw  another  under  water  and  had  just  time  to 
harpoon  him.  The  boat  was  stopped  and  backed.  We 
hauled  him  along-side,  put  gaffs  in  him,  and  pulled 
him  on  board.  He  lay  still,  and  I  got  another  iron 
ready  and  got  out  to  the  pulpit  to  look  for  more.  As 
the  party  gathered  around  the  fish  he  all  at  once  began 
to  jump,  and  I  thought  that  he  would  jump  overboard. 
In  jumping  he  knocked  Mr.  Curtis,  Mr.  Strout,  and 
one  other  man  down  on  deck.  I  got  in  as  soon  as 
possible,  took  a  club  and  hit  him  on  his  sword,  which 
stilled  him.  It  was  fun  to  see  the  party  run  aft.  I 
had  to  laugh  heartih'.  vSome  minutes  later  Air.  Strout 
said,  "  Ben,  I  believe  you  did  that  on  purpose." 

Later  we  saw  one  more,  but  could  not  get  on  him, 
as  all  the  fish  were  shy  at  sight  of  so  many  vessels  after 
them.  B}^  this  time  it  was  getting  late  in  the  after- 
noon and  we  had  a  long  way  to  go  to  Portland.  When 
near  Boon  Island  Ledge  I  told  the  partv  that  this  ledge 
was  famous  for  rock  cod  in  summer,  so  the}-  wished  to 
try  it.  We  had  good  bait  on  ice.  We  hove  to,  and  as 
soon  as  the  lines  went  down  to  the  bottom  there  was  a 
good-sized  cod-fish  on  the  hook.  Not  having  anv  tub 
to  put  them  into,  they  were  put  on  the  deck  until  it 
was  coxered  half-knee  deep.  The  party  enjoyed  the 
sport  hugel}'.  I  had  hard  work  to  get  Curtis  and 
Strout  to  start  for  home.  I  think  that  thev  would  have 
kept  on  fishing  until  dark.  We  finall}-  got  started. 
During  the  two  days  water  and  weather  were  all  that 
could   be  asked  for,  and  the  trip  will  long  be  remem- 


1 66  CAPTAIN    BEnVs    book. 

bered  b}"  all  on  board.  The  part}'  arrived  at  Portland 
near  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  next  morning 
the  sword-fish  were  landed.  One  weighed  about  five 
hundred  pounds,  and  the  smallest  one  two  hundred 
and  sevent3^-seven  pounds.  The  cod  was  given  to 
friends.  Alost  of  the  party  never  saw  large  fish  capt- 
ured before,  and  some  were  ne^•er  on  salt  water  until 
this  trip,  so  you  see  it  was  a  great  sight  for  them.  A 
trip  like  this  is  good  for  a  business  man,  allowing  him 
to  escape  from  business  cares,  and  he  never  forgets  it. 

Feeding  GrounDvS  oe  Sword-Fish.  —  I  have 
been  asked  to  give  the  different  feeding  grounds  for 
sword-fish.  The}-  are  known  to  be  plenty  off  the  south- 
east coast  of  Japan.  vSonie  are  found  to  the  north  of 
New  Zealand.  The}'  are  also  seen  to  the  west  of  Mex- 
ico and  from  Newfoundland  along  the  east  coast  of 
North  and  South  America  to  the  river  La  Plata.  They 
are  again  found  from  Norway  on  the  west  coast  of 
Europe,  and  south  around  Africa  up  the  east  coast  to 
the  Red  Sea.  A  few  are  on  the  west  coast  of  Ce^'lon, 
a  few  in  the  China  Sea,  and  in  the  South  Atlantic 
along  twenty  degrees  west  and  twent}-  south  latitude. 
As  a  centre  they  appear  to  spread  over  a  surface  of  six 
hundred  miles  square.  This  is  about  half  wa}-  from 
the  Isle  of  St.  Helena  to  the  coast  of  South  America. 

Spanish  Mackerel. —  As  to  Spanish  mackerel  we 
find  the  following  in  the  "Fisherman's  Memorial  and 
Record  Book,"  which  gives  an  idea  of  the  abundance 
of  the  species  in  Alassachusetts  Ba}-  in  the  earh'  part 
of  the  present  century:  "In  1812  a  large  school  of 
Spanish  mackerel  visited  this  ba}^ ;  and  so  plent}^  and 
numerous  were  they  that  they  would  bite  readil}-  at  the 
bare  hooks,  and  seize  upon  small  bits  of  line  hanging 


i68  CAPTAIN  ben'vS  book. 

from  the  vessel.  Standing-room  boats  were  then  mostly 
in  use,  holding  from  fifteen  to  twenty  tons.  These 
rooms  held  from  fifteen  to  twenty  barrels  and  the  crews 
would  catch  them  full  in  a  few  hours.  Mr.  Timothy, 
at  Rowe's  Bank,  at  Gloucester,  Mass.,  bought  most  of 
these  mackerel  fresh,  after  being  dressed,  at  two  cents 
a  pound,  salting  them  in  his  building;  and  the  busi- 
ness, which  lasted  two  months,  was  a  lively  one." 
These  mackerel  did  not  continue  on  this  coast  more 
than  a  few  years  and  have  now  almost  entirely  dis- 
appeared. There  were  a  few  caught  with  the  other 
mackerel  as  late  as  1825,  since  which  time  it  is  very 
rare  to  see  one  during  the  entire  season. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

•|HE     SCHOONER      "P..      J.      WILLARD"      AND      HEK      FORTUNES. HOW 

STEAMERS  HAVE  TAKEN  THE  FREIGHTS  FROM  SAILING  VESSELS. 
THE  WAY  IN  WHICH  I  CELEBRATED  THE  PORTLAND  CENTEN- 
NIAL.  ABOUT    THE    WATER     BOAT    "FANNIE    G."  SUNFISH    AND 

THEIR    CURIOUS    FORMAITON. 

^HE  schooner  '' B.  J.  Willard"  was  contracted  for  by 
my  brother  Charles,  who  was  lost  at  sea  abont  a 
month  after  making  his  contract,  while  on  his  way 
from  Philadelphia  to  Portland  in  his  schooner  "Georgie 
Deering."  He  was  overtaken  bj^  a  heav\^  g^^^  from 
the  northeast  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Cod,  on  the  9th 
of  March,  1872,  and  no  tidings  of  the  crew  or  vessel 
have  come  from  that  da}^  to  this. 

]My  nephew,  B.  F.  Woodbur}-,  soon  after  took 
charge  of  bnilding  and  fitting  her  for  sea,  and  went 
master.  She  sailed  from  Bath,  ]\Ie.,  with  a  cargo  of 
ice  for  Philadelphia,  September  20,  1872,  on  her  first 
voyage.  The  last  of  November,  1876,  we  sold  her  to 
Bolton,  Bliss  &  Dallett,  for  a  packet  to  rnn  between 
New  York  and  \^enezuelan  ports.  In  abont  two  years' 
time  the  firm  were  compelled  to  pnt  on  a  line  of  steam- 
ers or  lose  their  bnsiness.  The  "W^illard,"  with  the 
rest  of  the  sailing  vessels,  was  sold.  In  ICS79  she 
became  a  total  wreck  npon  a  reef  near  a  salt  port  in 
the  Mediterranean.  While  we  owned  her  she  ran  with 
few  mishaps. 

It  mav  be  of  interest  to  some  of  my  friends  to  read 
her  record.  She  was  one  of  the  first  three-masted 
schooners  bnilt  and  owned  in  Portland.     At  the  time 


THE    vSCHOONER       B.   J.    WILLARD."  171 

she  -was  building,  tlie  Bath  ship-owners  looked  upon 
three-masted  schooners  in  disgust,  although  their 
builders  were  building,  that  year,  quite  a  fleet  of  this 
class  of  vessels  for  Cape  Cod,  Taunton,  and  New  Jersey 
captains,  on  contract.  It  did  not  take  the  ship-owners 
long  to  see  there  was  more  money  in  this  class  of 
vessels  than  in  their  larger  wooden  ships  which  had  to 
come  in  competition  with  English  iron  ships  which 
were  given  a  preference  of  five  shillings  per  ton  freight, 
besides  favor  given  by  English  Lloyds  insurance  com- 
panies. The  "Willard"  was  built  to  carry  500  tons  of 
coal.  At  that  time  this  size  of  vessel  was  considered  a 
large  vessel,  and  we  were  bothered  to  get  that  much 
cargo  very  often.  She  was  built  to  run  as  a  packet 
between  Portland  and  Philadelphia.  There  was  a  nice 
business  in  out  freights  of  mackerel,  herring,  oil  car- 
peting, shovel  handles,  canned  corn,  and  sundry-  other 
goods;  freights  back  to  Portland,  on  coal,  varving  from 
$2  to  $4  per  ton,  according  to  the  season.  Sugar 
freights,  at  that  time,  from  the  north  side  of  Cuba  were 
from  $5  to  $7  a  hogshead.  Times  have  changed  now; 
all  the  general  freight  going  from  Portland  to  Phila- 
delphia is  being  shipped  l)y  the  way  of  the  New  York 
steamers  or  Boston  boats  and  forwarded  by  steamers  to 
its  destination.  As  the  manufacturing  plants  increase 
the  coal  orders  enlarge,  and  at  this  time  it  is  more 
common  to  have  a  cargo  of  coal  arrive  here  of  2,000 
tons  than  it  was  of  500  in  1S72.  The  "Willard"  was 
noted  for  her  good  sailing  Cjualities;  and  the  first  two 
years  for  the  good  dividends  to  her  owners.  I  will  give 
liere  a  statement  of  her  earnings  as  made  up  from  her 
books  by  Capt.  B.  F.  Woodbury: 

vSailing  from  Bath  September   18,    1872,  her  first 
dividend  was  declared  October   i6th,  and  amounted  to 


172  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

$694,92  ;  her  second,  of  $700,  December  4tli ;  her  third, 
$879.54,011  March  3,  1873;  fourth,  $1,600,  May  5th; 
fifth,  $1,280,  June  13th;  sixth,  $2,400,  September  i8th; 
seventh,  $647.60,  October  nth  —  a  total  of  $8,157.06. 

All  bills  for  her  construction  and  outfit  were  paid 
September  14,  1872,  her  cost  being  $23,985.82. 

The  last  dividend  was  paid  November  30,  1876, 
and  brought  the  total  up  to  $20,525.22.  She  was  then 
sold  for  $18,752.96,  thus  bringing  to  her  owners,  above 
cost,  $15,292.36. 

The  cost  of  running  the  vessel  for  the  four  years 
and  two  months  was  $6,970.94.  The  total  amount  of 
freights  earned  was  $76,605.94. 

In  Januarv,  1874,  she  went  from  Portland  to 
Matanzas  with  freight  which  earned  $1,195.11,  and 
thence  to  Philadelphia  with  molasses  at  $4  a  hogs- 
head, which  brought  $3,662.92;  a  total  for  the  round 
trip  of  $4,858.03.  This  was  made  inside  of  two  months 
from  leaving  Portland. 

How  I  Celebrated  the  Centennial. — Jul}'  4, 
1886,  Portland's  centennial  celebration  occurred,  and  it 
was  a  grand  affair.  There  were  in  the  harbor  at  the 
time  five  warships,  the  "  Yantic,"  "Swatara,"  "Tennes- 
see," "Galena,"  and  the  French  warship  "Talisman." 
They  were  all  trimmed  with  flags,  as  were  the  other 
vessels,  and  it  was  the  grandest  sight  ever  seen  in 
Portland  Harbor.  The  weather  was  perfect.  At  that 
time  I  was  the  harbor  master,  and  I  got  an  order  to 
move  the  mud  dredge  out  of  the  channel  to  give  a 
clear  course  for  a  rowing  regatta  from  Union  Wharf  to 
Fish  Point  and  return.  I  got  a  boy  in  an  express 
wagon  to  take  me  on  ]\Iunjoy  Hill  to  see  Mr.  Gerrish 
to  have  the  dredge  moved,  which  was  promptl}-  done 
b}^  hauling  it  to  the  end  of  Franklin  Wharf. 


WHY  I  lp:ft  off  smoking  cigars.  173 

In  coming  down  the  hill  on  my  return,  and  near 
the  Portland  Company  office,  the  whiffletree  dropped 
on  the  horse's  heels  and  he  ran  awaj-.  The  driver 
could  not  control  him,  and  when  near  Mountfort  Street 
everything  looked  wild.  I  balanced  myself,  jumped 
o\er  the  forward  wheel,  and  landed  on  the  ground ; 
and  when  I  struck  it  broke  both  bones  of  the  left  leg 
near  the  ankle  and  I  rolled  over  against  the  fence  of 
the  Portland  Company  yard.  M}^  foot  was  numb,  and 
I  did  not  know  the  bones  were  broken  until  I  started 
to  get  up.  The  first  man  I  saw  coming  was  Capt.  Scott 
Oliver.  He  was  soon  followed  b}'  others,  and  I  was 
taken  home  in  a  grocery  wagon  near  at  hand.  It  was 
a  hard  celebration  for  me,  and  one  that  I  shall  never 
forget. 

My  steamer  "  Fannie  G."  was  engaged  with  a 
sloop  lighter  to  visit  the  warships  and  get  brass  field- 
pieces  with  sailors  to  go  in  the  procession.  It  was  one 
of  the  finest  parades  ever  in  Portland. 

Why  I  Left  Off  Smokin'g  Cigars.  —  In  the 
year  1888  I  had  a  stroke  of  paralysis  on  the  left  side, 
caused  by  smoking  cigars  and  getting  my  blood  full  of 
nicotine.  While  smoking  I  felt  no  ill  effect  and  it 
never  seemed  to  shake  my  nerves.  I  called  Dr.  H.  P. 
Merrill.  His  advice  was  to  stop  smoking  cigars,  and 
that  advice  I  have  kept,  and  shall  the  rest  of  my  life. 
He  brought  me  out  of  it  in  a  few  days.  At  times  ni}- 
heart  would  beat  hard,  and  I  supposed  that  I  had  heart 
disease,  as  there  were  a  great  uiau}-  dropping  off  with 
that  trouble;  but  after  I  stopped  smoking  I  never  had 
any  more  trouble  with  my  heart.  Now  I  would  ad\ise 
my  friends  to  take  warning  and  not  smoke  too  manv 
cigars.  Men  with  business  on  their  miuds  will  smoke 
a  great  many  more  cigars  than  they  are  aware  of,  and 
oftentimes  the}-  feel  the  bad  effects  when  it  is  too  late. 


174  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

The  "Fannie  G."  and  Her  Good  Work.— The 
water  boat,  "Fannie  G.,"  of  which  I  have  before  spoken, 
proved  excellent  for  her  purpose,  and  did  much  good 
service,  some  in  saving  property  as  well  as  affording 
considerable  pleasiire  to  fishing  parties.  She  was  in 
pretty  constant  use,  filling  the  light-house  tanks  at 
Half  Way  Rock  and  Seguin,  serving  warships  in  the 
harbor,  and  protecting  the  water  front  against  fire.  It 
might  be  tedious  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  her  work, 
but  I  will  offer  a  specimen  or  two.  February  6,  1890, 
she  pumped  sixteen  and  a  half  hours  at  the  fire  on 
Brown's  Wharf,  and  at  the  same  time  saved  the  club- 
house on  ]\Ierchants'  Wharf;  using  the  small  number 
five  Dean  pump  with  which  she  had  so  often  done  val- 
uable service.  In  November  of  that  same  year  she 
played  on  the  Richardson  Wharf  fire,  pumping  two 
hours  through  two  lines  of  hose  M'ith  one-inch  nozzles 
of  the  new  number  eight  Dean .  pump,  and  rendering 
great  aid. 

July  21,  1885,  took  a  fishing  party  on  the  "Fannie 
G."     We  had  luck  and  caught  lots  of  good  cod. 

July  2 2d  took  another  party  to  Cod  Ledge  with 
the  usual  good  luck. 

August  1 6th  filled  tank  with  water  for  one  year's 
supply  at  Half  ^^^ay  Rock  Light. 

July  17,  1887,  again  filled  the  Half  Way  Rock 
Light,  and  also  the  two  warships,  "  Richmond "  and 
"Yantic." 

August  6,  1888,  again  filled  Half  Way  Rock  Light. 

September  4th  took  out  a  fishing  party,  had  fine 
luck,  and  got  from  five  to  six  hundred  pounds  of  fish. 

September  loth  carried  a  lot  of  voters  from  Cundy's 
Harbor  to  Harpswell  and  back. 

July  8,    1889,   again   filled   the   Half    Way   Rock 


176  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Light,  and  pumped  salt  water  to  Seguin  Light-house 
through  600  feet  of  hose  and  136  feet  rise,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  island. 

September  17th  filled  the  Seguin  Light-house  tank 
with  salt  water,  to  run  the  whistle,  through  1,800  feet 
of  hose,  from  the  harbor,  136  feet  rise.  This  was  done 
with  a  number  five  Dean  pump,  small  size. 

February  6,  1890,  the  "  Fannie  G."  pumped  sixteen 
and  a  half  hours  for  the  cit}',  during  the  fire  at  Brown's 
Wharf,  and  at  the  same  time  saved  the  club-house  at 
Alerchants'  Wharf,  with  this  same  small  number  five 
Dean  pump. 

June  28th  pumped  out  the  schooner  "IMathew  Ken- 
ney,"  at  Cundy's  Harbor,  and  towed  her  to  Portland. 

During  July  and  August  filled  with  water  the 
United  States  warships  "Kearsarge,"  "Petrel,"  and 
"Baltimore."  At  this  time  we  had  just  put  in  the  new 
large  number  eight  Dean  fire  pump. 

November  26th  the  "Fannie  G."  was  called  to  the 
Richardson  Wharf  fire,  and  pumped  two  hours,  through 
two  lines  of  hose  with  one-inch  nozzles  of  the  new 
number  eight,  the  Dean  pump  doing  good  service. 

June  24,  1891,  pumped  out  the  schooner  "O.  P. 
Lord,"  at  Birch  Island  Ledge,  and  towed  her  back  to 
Portland. 

June  30th  pumped  10,000  gallons  of  fresh  water  and 
20,000  gallons  of  salt  water,  through  3,300  feet  of  hose, 
with  about  140  feet  rise,  into  the  tank  of  the  Ottawa 
House,  Cushing's  Island.  A  number  eight  Dean  pump 
was  used.     It  was  a  great  surprise  to  the  boarders. 

August  24th  pumped  out  the  yacht  "  Viking,"  at 
Falmouth  Foreside ;  and  also  filled  with  water  the 
United  States  warships  "Chicago,"  "Atlanta,"  "York- 
town,"  "Boston,"  and  "Concord." 


THE       FANNIE    G.      AND  HER    GOOD    WORK.  177 

July  20,  1892,  pumped  out  the  schooner  "A.  H. 
Robinson,"  at  Small  Point,  and  towed  her  to  Portland. 

September  27th  pumjoed  out  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railroad  pontoon. 

August  31,  1S93,  pumped  out  the  schooner  "Julia 
Baker,"  at  Cape  Elizabeth. 

November  i8th  pumped  out  the  Portland  Bridge 
pontoon. 

December  12th  pumped  out  the  "P.  J.  Hession's" 
scow,  at  Cape  Elizabeth. 

August  23,  1894,  went  to  Richmond  Island, 
pumped  out  the  "A.  M.  Bearing,"  and  towed  her  to 
Portland  in  conipau}-  with  the  tug  "  Demerrest,"  Capt. 
George  Alathews. 

December  17th  pumped  on  the  bark  "  \\  M.  Hop- 
kins" some  thirt3^-eight  hours. 

December  29th  pumped  out  the  pontoon  at  the 
Ferr}^  Slip,  Portland  Pier. 

The  PuRvSuit  of  the  Sunfish.  —  In  July,  1893, 
she  went  out  with  the  following  party  for  deep-sea 
fishing:  F.  D.  Rogers,  George  Tha3'er,  Capt.  H.  E. 
AVillard,  Edward  Keene,  F.  H.  Little,  H.  A.  Clay,  and 
myself.  We  first  went  on  the  eastern  part  of  Rock 
Cod  Ledge,  and  not  finding  the  cod-fish  very  plenty 
started  for  the  western  shoal.  In  steaming  up,  some 
of  the  party  saw  a  black  fin  sticking  up,  and  the  boat 
was  turned  for  it  at  once.  It  proved  to  be  a  large  sun- 
fish.  When  near  it  I  drove  the  harpoon  at  its  head. 
The  gristle  in  the  head  was  so  hard  that  the  harpoon 
only  entered  about  an  inch,  and  as  I  put  ni}-  weight  on 
the  staff  the  iron  shank  bent  up.  I  could  not  get  the 
harpoon  in  an^-  deeper.  The  fish  sank  when  the  line 
came  taut,  and  the  iron  came  out  and  we  supposed  that 
we  should  not  see  him  again  ;   1)ut  to  our  surprise  he 


SUNFISH,   6   FEET  5  INCHES  LONG,   5  FEET   DEEP;    WEIGHT    ABOUT    600    POUNDS. 


THE    PUR.SUIT    OF    THE    vSUNFISH.  1 79 

came  to  the  surface.  We  turned  around  and  steamed 
for  him  once  more.  This  time  I  struck  him  well  aft 
and  the  iron  went  half-way  through  him.  After  that 
we  captured  him  easily,  though  it  took  all  hands  to 
haul  him  on  deck.  The  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in 
cod-fishing,  on  the  western  shoal  of  Cod  Ledge,  and 
we  caught  all  the  cod  that  we  wanted.  On  returning 
home  we  tied  a  rope  to  the  sunfish  and  left  him  at  the 
Forest  City  Landing,  Peaks  Island,  so  the  boarders 
and  visitors  could  see  him. 

Several  species  of  this  odd-looking  fish  have  been 
captured  in  British  waters,  and  in  almost  every  case 
the  creature  was  swimming,  or  rather  floating,  in  so 
lazy  a  fashion  that  it  permitted  itself  to  be  taken  with- 
out attempting  to  escape.  In  the  seas  where  this  fish 
is  generally  found,  the  harpoon  is  usually  used  for 
its  capture;  not  so  much  on  account  of  its  strength, 
though  a  large  specimen  will  sometimes  struggle  with 
amazing  force  and  fur\',  but  on  account  of  its  great 
weight,  which  renders  its  conveyance  into  a  boat  a 
matter  of  some  little  difficulty. 

The  flesh  of  the  sunfish  is  white,  well  flavored, 
and  in  much  request  among  sailors,  who  always  luxu- 
riate in  fresh  meat  after  the  monotony  of  salted  pro- 
visions. In  flavor  and  aspect  it  somewhat  resembles 
the  skate.  Its  liver  is  rather  large  and  yields  a  large 
amount  of  oil,  which  is  prized  b}'  the  sailors  as  an 
infallible  remedy  for  sprains,  burns,  bruises,  and  rheu- 
matic affections.  One  of  its  most  curious  peculiarities 
is  the  structure  of  the  eyes,  which  are  bedded  in  a 
mass  of  very  soft  and  flexible  folds  belonging  to  the 
outer  membranous  coat,  and  resting  behind  on  a  sack 
filled  with  a  gelatinous  fluid.  W'lien  the  creature  is 
alarmed  it  draws  the  eye  back  against  the  sack  of  fluid. 


l8o  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

which  is  thus  forced  into  the  folds  of  skin.  The}^  dis- 
tend so  largely  as  nearly  to  conceal  the  entire  organ 
behind  them.  When  swimming  quietly  along  and 
suffered  to  be  undisturbed,  it  generall}^  remains  so 
near  the  surface  that  its  elevated  dorsal  fin  projects 
above  the  water.  Onl}-  in  warm,  calm  weather  is  it 
seen  in  this  attitude.  During  a  storm^^  season  it 
remains  near  the  bed  of  the  sea,  and  contents  itself 
with  feeding  on  the  sea-weeds  which  grow  so  luxuri- 
antl}'  at  the  bottom  of  the  shallower  ocean  waters. 
The  color  of  the  sunfish  is  grajnsh  brown,  darker  upon 
the  back  than  on  the  sides  of  the  abdomen.  The  skin 
is  hard  and  rough.  The  fish  often  attains  a  ver^^  great 
size.  One  that  was  harpooned  on  the  equator  meas- 
ured six  feet  in  length. 

October  3,  1893,  the  following  part}'  went  in  the 
"Fannie  G.":  W.  S.  Eaton,  F.  D.  Rogers,  George 
Thayer,  Joseph  F.  Fowler,  F.  H.  Little,  Mr.  Haines, 
Air.  Bright,  Mr.  Pike,  Mr.  A.  G.  Sawyer,  and  myself. 
We  had  good  sport  and  got  a  fine  lot  of  game.  The 
same  part}'  were  out  on  several  fishing  trips  with  me, 
and  we  always  had  good  luck.  The  fresh  lobsters  on 
board  were  a  big  luxury  and  highl}'  enjo^-ed  by  us  all. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE      FIRST      TOW-BOAT     IN     TORTLAND. CHANCED     CONDITIONS     OF 

OCEAN    TRAFFIC. —  THE    ni.UE    SHARK    AND    HIS    PURSUIT. W  LD 

GEESE    SHOOTINO. A    NOIAKI.E    SWORD-FISH    PARTY. IHK   FrRST 

PRIZE     IN      NINE      YEARS.  —  LAST     DEEP-SEA-FISH  INO      TRIP      FOR 
THE    SEASON. 

'HpHE  first  tow-boat  owned  in  Portland  was  tlie 
"Tiger,"  bnilt  in  Philadelphia,  for  m^-  brother 
William,  in  1S51.  She  commenced  towing  in  this  har- 
bor in  November  of  that  3'ear.  The  first  month  was  a 
bns}'  one  for  him.  During  that  time  he  towed  two 
ships  out  of  the  Kennebunk  River,  and  one  out  of  the 
Saco.  As  the  Cuba  trade  was  flourishing  then,  the 
towing  business  was  quite  brisk.  He  was  often  called 
to  Yarmouth,  Freeport,  and  Brunswick  to  tow  ships 
from  their  launching  ways  to  this  cit}-,  where  the}- 
would  complete  their  outfits  for  sea  and  sail  for  a 
Southern  port  to  load  cotton  for  the  European  market. 
Before  the  "Tiger"  arrived  here  the  vessels  in  want  of 
a  tow-boat  had  to  send  to  Bath  or  Boston,  and  the 
"Tiger"  received  a  welcome  greeting  by  the  ship- 
builders about  Casco  Bay. 

At  that  time  there  were  some  fifteen  or  twentv 
ship-3'ards  between  Capes  Elizabeth  and  vSmall  Point. 
When  the  "Tiger"  was  built  there  were  ver}^  few  pro- 
peller tow-boats.  Side-wheel  tow-boats  did  this  work 
then  at  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore.  The}- 
are  things  of  the  past  now,  though  a  few  are  used  for 
North  River  towing  in  shallow  water.  Times  have 
changed.      Not  one  ship  is  building  from  Cape  Cod  to 


BLUE    SHARK.  1 83 

Eastport.  Three  four-mast  scliooners  and  a  steamer  are 
building  in  Bath  for  the  coasting  trade,  but  nothing  for 
the  foreign.  As  the  manufacturing  business  increases 
so  does  the  coasting  trade.  We  have  a  large  fleet  of 
coasting  vessels  emplo3'ed  principally  in  the  ice,  coal, 
phosphate  rock,  and  hard  pine  trade.  Steamers  do  all 
the  general  merchandise  freighting.  The  towing  busi- 
ness has  increased  so  that  four  tow-boats  and  three 
water  boats  find  emploj-ment  in  our  harbor. 

Wooden  ships  have  gone  out  of  date.  Steel  and 
iron  steamers  of  European  nations  are  doing  most  of 
the  foreign  freighting  business.  Thej^  have  been  built 
b\^  subsidies;  their  government  paying  liberalh'  what 
is  called  mail  aid.  In  1893  the  five  great  Maritime 
Powers  of  Europe,  England,  France,  Germany,  Russia, 
and  Ital}',  paid  :^i6,657,865  for  the  transportation  of 
their  mails  by  sea.  This  not  onlj^  builds  their  mail 
ships,  but  at  the  same  time  the  subsidized  companies 
have  large  fleets  of  the  so-called  tramp  steamers,  or 
freight  ships,  running  in  connection  with  their  mail 
ships.  Several  of  these  lines  have  eight}'  to  ninety 
steamers  owned  by  each  company.  During  the  winter 
season,  when  the  St.  Lawrence  River  is  closed  by  ice, 
the  Allan  and  Dominion  lines  of  steamers  do  a  laree 
freighting  business  to  FCngland  and  Scotland,  taking 
freight  from  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  brought  from 
all  parts  of  Canada  and  the  Western  States. 

Blue  Shark.  —  The  blue  shark,  \vhich  I  have 
before  mentioned,  arc  the  most  common  here  and  are 
seen  in  very  large  numbers  on  our  coast  in  the  sum- 
mer. They  are  of  a  fine  slaty-blue  color  on  the  back, 
and  white  on  the  belly,  and  are  from  three  to  fifteen 
feet  long.  They  are  the  fishermen's  most  deadl}^ 
enemy,  cutting  their  nets  to  pieces  and  devouring  their 


184  CAPTAIN    BEn'vS    book. 

fish.  Eight  or  nine  of  these  monsters  have  been  taken 
in  one  day.  In  the  foreground  of  the  engraving  on 
page  96  is  introduced  the  skull  of  a  large  shark  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  the  terrible  teeth  with  which 
it  is  armed,  and  which  lie  in  several  reserve  rows  ready 
to  take  the  place  of  those  which  are  broken  or  cast  off 
when  their  work  is  done.  From  these  teeth,  which  cut 
like  broken  glass,  the  natives  of  many  savage  lands 
make  tools  and  weapons  of  war  by  fixing  them  into 
wooden  handles. 

A  friend  of  mine  was  once  fishing  after  a  large 
shark  which  was  following  the  vessel.  After  a  little 
time  he  succeeded  in  inducing  him  to  take  hold  of  the 
great  hook  which  was  fastened  on  the  end  of  a  large 
chain  and  nicely  baited  with  a  big,  fat  piece  of  pork  of 
which  these  fish  are  very  fond.  Too  sudden  a  jerk  was 
given  the  hook,  however,  and  it  pulled  through  the 
cheek,  which  made  a  terrible  cut  and  bled  profusely. 
But  the  shark  did  not  seem  to  mind  that,  for  he  kept 
right  close  up  to  the  bait,  which  after  a  short  time  he 
finally'  seized  and  was  drawn  on  board. 

Shooting  Wild  Geese  at  High  Pressure. — 
In  the  spring  of  1894,  about  the  last  of  March,  wild 
geese  were  reported  very  plentiful  in  Casco  Bay.  I 
got  Mr.  John  F.  Randall  and  Mr.  J.  N.  Martin  and 
steamed  down  the  bay  in  the  "  Fannie  G."  We  saw 
plent}^  of  them  feeding  on  the  mussel  beds.  The  water 
being  shoal  we  could  not  get  near  them.  We  found 
that  some  had  alighted  in  the  bay,  and  so  got  to  the 
windward  and  steamed  towards  them.  Thej^  flew  out 
of  the  water  a  long  distance  ahead  and  we  got  one  of 
them.  A  day  or  two  later  Mr.  Randall,  his  son,  and 
myself  went  down  the  bay  and  got  three  more.  We 
found  that  our  steam  from  high  pressure  frightened 


^^,^r?ijmm 


Peaks  Jsi^awo        I88H. 


"-^^^"^"MU^ 


'■  -  -'  '"'^- 


l86  CAPTAIN    BEn'vS    book. 

tliem  before  we  could  get  in  shooting  distance.  Since 
that  time  I  have  put  low  pressure  in  the  boat  so  to 
steam  on  to  them  without  any  noise. 

The  First  Sword-Fish  in  Nine  YeaRvS. — 
August  I,  1S94,  I  started  for  a  deep-sea-fishing  trip  in 
the  "Fannie  G."  with  the  following  party:  W.  J. 
Spicer,  general  manager  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Com- 
pany; W.  A.  Spicer,  Charles  Spicer,  Errol  Spicer, 
Herbert  Spicer,  all  from  Detroit;  Doctor  Allowa}^,  of 
Montreal;  Mr.  Day,  consul  at  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Rev.  James  Hasty,  of  Cornwall,  Ontario;  Capt.  B.  F. 
Woodbur}^,  William  Taylor,  J.  F.  Randall,  Joseph  F. 
Fowler,  George  Thaj^er,  of  the  Maine  Central,  Capt. 
H.  E.  Willard,  and  F.  H.  Little. 

The  party  was  prepared  to  catch  anything  from  a 
whale  to  a  mackerel.  If  you  have  never  caught  a 
sword-fish  you  do  not  know  what  fun  and  excitement 
are  connected  with  the  sport.  The  boat  left  the  Grand 
Trunk  Wharf  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
proceeded  to  Peaks  Island  to  get  Captain  Woodbury 
and  friends.  From  there  the^^  went  to  Cushing's 
Island  to  get  Mr.  Spicer  and  his  compan}^  From 
Cushing's  the  steamer  went  over  to  Cape  Cottage  for  a 
supply  of  fresh  lobsters  previously  arranged  for.  We 
then  put  to  sea. 

About  an  hour  was  spent  in  fishing  for  cod  on 
Rock  Cod  Ledge.  In  that  short  time  over  sixty  cod 
were  caught,  some  of  them  weighing  twelve  pounds. 
But  that  was  not  what  the  party  was  after;  and  with 
visions  of  sword-fish  still  before  their  eyes,  the  fun  of 
fishing  for  cod  seemed  extremely  tame.  Beyond  the 
ledge  for  a  distance  of  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  to  sea 
the  little  steamer  went.  The  day  was  all  that  could 
be  asked  for.     The  water  was  smooth  and  calm,  and 


THE    FIRST    SWORD-FISH    IN    NINE    YEARS.  1 87 

the  most  sensitive  ladies  could  have  taken  the  trip  so 
far  as  any  danger  from  seasickness  was  concerned. 
Three  hours  after  starting  a  shark  was  sighted.  He 
was  about  seven  feet  long,  and  there  was  some  desire 
to  tr}^  to  land  him;  but  that  desire  was  short-lived,  for 
in  a  few  moments  a  sword-fish  was  seen  showing  a 
back  fin  and  tip  of  talk  Then  the  excitement  ran 
high.  Everybody  was  alive  to  observe  the  movements 
of  the  fish  and  the  preparations  for  his  capture.  The 
steamer  had  been  fitted  to  steam  noiselessly  on  to  the 
fish  with  low  pressure,  and  so  the  game  was  not  fright- 
ened by  a  noisy  approach  of  the  vessel.  Captain  W. 
took  a  position  in  the  pulpit  that  Captain  Peterson  had 
built  on  purpose  and  stood  with  harpoon  in  hand  till 
an  advantageous  position  was  reached.  Then  swish 
through  the  air  the  harpoon  went,  striking  the  big 
fish  and  burying  itself  some  fifteen  inches  in  his  flesh. 
Rapidly  the  line  was  paid  out  to  the  length  of  one 
hundred  fathoms  or  more,  and  a  half-barrel  thrown 
overboard  with  the  line  attached.  Mr.  Randall  invited 
]\Ir.  Fowler  to  sail  on  the  half-barrel  and  watch  the  per- 
formance of  the  prisoner ;  but  that  gentleman  declined, 
and  so  Mr.  Sword-fish  was  allowed  to  hustle  all  by 
himself.  In  fort}--fi\e  minutes  the  fish  was  on  board. 
When  he  came  up  to  the  boat  he  made  a  struggle  to 
get  awaj',  but  Captain  W.  sent  a  second  harpoon  into 
him  and  that  settled  his  fate.  Mr.  Randall  made  good 
use  of  the  gaff  and  Captain  Peterson  got  a  tail  rope  on 
to  the  fish  and  another  line  around  him  for  a  parbuckle 
to  roll  him  on  board.  Mr.  Spicer  and  others  had  a 
hand  on  the  upper  deck  and  shorti}'  the  big  fish  was 
rolled  on  board,  much  to  the  delight  of  everybody-. 

This  was  the  first  sword-fish   that  "Captain  Ben^' 
had  caught  for  nine  vears ;   and  so  the  first  thing  to  do 


1 88  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

wlieii  the  capture  was  made  and  the  excitement  over 
was  to  ask  Mr.  Fowler  to  get  the  sarsaparilla  so  that 
he  could  take  a  good  drink.  Mr.  Fowler  suggested  a 
pop  cocktail,  which  used  to  be  a  favorite  drink  of  the 
captain's;  and  then  something  stronger  was  offered, 
but  the  captain  declined. 

Everybody  partook  of  the  hot  coffee  and  steamed 
fresh  lobsters,  and  the  boat  again  got  under  way  for 
another  sword-fish.  At  1.30,  when  heading  for  Boon 
Island,  the  outlook  saw  another  sword-fish  and  Captain 
W.  sent  the  harpoon  after  him.  When  the  steamer 
came  around  it  left  the  fish  on  the  port  side,  and  the 
chances  of  striking  fair  with  the  harpoon  were  much 
lessened.  The  steel  struck  the  fish  a  few  inches  higher 
than  was  at  first  intended,  striking  against  the  back- 
bone so  that  when  the  line  became  taut  the  harpoon 
drew  out  and  the  fish  drifted  awa}-  to  die  and  be  eaten 
b}^  the  dogfish.  Three  hours  more  were  spent  in  look- 
ing for  fish,  but  with  no  good  result.  The  boat  got 
back  at  5.45  p.m.,  all  hands  well  pleased  with  the  daj-'s 
sport.  The  fish  caught  was  twelve  feet  long  and 
weighed  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  The  sword 
was  three  feet  long  and  the  tail  three  feet  wide.  The 
one  lost  was  about  seventeen  feet  long  with  a  large 
body.     It  might  weigh  about  five  hundred  pounds. 

Last  Trip  of  the  Season. — August  17,  1894,  I 
took  my  last  deep-sea-fishing  trip  for  the  season  with 
the  following  gentlemen:  Mr.  W.  S.  Eaton,  F.  D. 
Rogers,  F.  H.  Little,  B.  F.  Woodbury,  George  Thayer, 
K.  D.  Awtood,  H.  E.  Willard,and  William  M.  Leighton. 
The  day  was  fine.  We  left  Portland  at  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  When  near  Portland  Head  we  came  to 
a  fisherman  and  got  all  the  fresh  lobsters  that  we 
wished.     Then  we  steamed  for  Rock  Cod  Ledge,  stop- 


LAST    TRIP    OF    THE    SEASON.  189 

ping  there  something  over  an  hour.  We  got  sixty 
nice  cod-fish;  Mr.  Eaton  catching  the  largest  one, 
about  thirteen  pounds  in  weight.  While  there  fishing 
a  school  of  mackerel  came  up  and  we  caught  thirty. 
We  then  steamed  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  to  sea  look- 
ing for  sword-fish.  We  steamed  some  sixty-five  miles 
in  all,  but  saw  none.  They  had  probably  left  the  coast. 
We  arrived  home  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
after  having  a  fine  sail  and  nice  sport. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

TRANSIT    BETWEEN    THE    CAPE    AND    PORTLAND. THE    FAMOUS    FERRY 

FIGHT. — -A    STORMY    TOWN-MEETING. THE    DINNER    THAT    COST 

FIVE    HUNDRED  DOLLARS    A  PLATE. CAPE   ELIZABETH   ELECTRICS. 

THE    ISLAND    TRAFFIC    AND     THE    CASCO    BAY    STEAMBOAT    COM- 
PANY.  PORPOISES. 

n^HE  ferry  between  Portland  and  Cape  Elizabeth  has 

given  rise  to  both  litigation  and  legislation,  and  is 
still  a  mnch  discnssed  topic. 

At  my  first  coming  from  the  Cape  to  Portland 
Captain  Stanford  ran  a  sail  boat.  I  remember  well  the 
foresail  —  braided  up.  The  boat  was  a  large  yawl  and 
a  safe  one,  and  the  captain  a  prudent  man.  He  built 
a  walk  way  from  high  water  to  low  water,  and  could 
often  be  seen  carrjdng  a  bucket  of  sand  to  sprinkle 
upon  it  to  make  the  footing  of  his  passengers  surer. 

This  yawl  was  succeeded  b}"  a  double-end  ferry- 
boat named  the  "  Elizabeth."  At  the  time  there  was 
considerable  ship-building,  a  chain  factory  was  run- 
ning, and  a  box  mill  in  operation ;  so  that  the  number 
of  passengers  was  considerable.  I  understand  that  the 
"Elizabeth"  paid  fair  dividends  until  Portland  Bridge 
became  free.  Then  she  ceased  to  be  profitable  and  the 
enterprise  died.  The  "Elizabeth"  was  succeeded,  after 
a  brief  experience  with  sail  boats,  b}-  another  double= 
ender,  the  "Little  Eastern,"  and  she  died,  too,  in  a 
short  time. 

Then  still  another  double-ender,  the  "  H.  H.  Day," 
was  put  on  the  ferry  with  sail  boats  running  between 
times.     After  running  for  a  while  and  failing  to  pay 


TRANSIT  BETWEEN  THE  CAPE  AND  PORTLAND.      191 

she  was  taken  off.  The  town  of  Cape  Elizabeth,  I 
believe,  helped  to  support  her.  On  one  of  her  trips 
from  the  Cape  side  on  which  I  was  a  passenger,  when 
half-way  over  to  the  cit}-  —  the  wind  being  heav}'  west 
northwest  —  the  steam  began  to  run  down  because  of 
leaking  tubes,  putting  the  fire  nearly  out  in  the  fire- 
box, and  she  went  to  leeward  fast,  toward  the  breakers 
near  the  Breakwater.  The  captain  saw  a  coaster  lying 
at  anchor,  made  for  her,  with  the  intention  of  getting 
a  line  fast,  having  a  man  ready  with  a  rope  with  an 
e3'e-splice  in  it.  When  we  bumped  up  against  the 
coaster  he  jumped  on  board  and  put  the  rope  on  the 
windlass  bit.  At  the  same  time  the  captain  of  the 
schooner  came  on  deck  bare-headed.  To  say  that  he 
was  mad  would  be  to  put  it  mildh'.  He  jumped  down 
over  the  deck  load  to  heave  off  the  line,  but  there  was 
too  much  strain  on  it.  The  captain  of  the  double-ender 
partially  pacified  him  by  saying  that  he  would  keep 
the  wheels  going  ahead.  The  coaster  had  both  anchors 
ahead  by  this  time.  If  the  chains  had  parted  both 
vessels  would  have  gone  ashore  in  the  breakers,  and  I 
do  not  know  what  would  have  become  of  us,  as  there 
was  no  life-saving  crew  stationed  on  the  Cape  at  that 
time,  I  had  supposed  the  double-ender  had  anchors, 
but  saw  none,  and  no  preparations  were  made  to  get 
an}-  either. 

After  another  siege  with  sail  boats,  steam  was 
again  brought  into  requisition.  Randall  &  IMcAllister 
bought  the  steamer  "Josephine  Hoev"  to  run  as  a 
ferry-boat  and  I  unfortunately  became  a  quarter  owner. 
While  she  was  running  there  came  a  northeast  snow- 
storm and  washed  away  the  lauding  at  the  Cape. 
About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  ladies  and  gentle- 
men came  down  to  go  across  as  usual.     I  told  them 


192  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

there  was  no  landing  and  we  could  not  run  the  boat, 
but  I  would  take  them  to  their  destination  safel}-, 
though  it  would  have  to  be  an  overland  trip.  The 
company  furnished  hacks  and  took  them  over  free  of 
charge.  I  remember  the  night  well,  as  I  sat  on  the 
box  with  the  driver,  holding  a  lantern  that  we  might 
find  the  way.  We  made  two  trips.  When  the  last 
man  got  out  of  the  hack  he  thought  he  ought  to  have 
ten  cents  for  a  drink,  the  drive  had  made  him  so  dry. 

Some  time  later  the  steamer  "Mary  W.  Libby" 
was  built  to  run  in  the  winter  and  used  in  the  summer 
for  pleasure  parties. 

The  Ferry  Fight. — In  the  winter  of  1885  what 
is  known  as  "the  ferr}^  fight" — into  the  particulars  of 
which  I  need  not  go — began,  and  vad.ny  of  us  were 
called  before  the  committee  of  interior  waters  to  testify. 

During  the  hearing  m}^  friend  Air.  D stated  that 

the  "Josephine  Hoey"  was  a  "thin  skin"  boat,  and  he 
did  not  think  she  was  safe  to  carry  passengers  across 
Fore  River.  Had  he  known  her  history  he  might  have 
thought  otherwise.  The  boat  was  brought  here  from 
New  York  by  my  brother  Charles  and  R.  W.  Richer, 
engineer,  one  storni}^  January.  In  rounding  Cape  Cod, 
between  Chatham  and  Noset,  she  ran  into  a  northeast 
snow-storm,  blowing  up  a  strong  gale.  In  this  blind- 
ing storm  the  boat  made  her  wa}-  round  the  highland 
of  the  Cape,  b}^  Peaked  Hill  Bar  and  Race  Point, 
found  her  way  into  Provincetown  Harbor  by  use  of  the 
sounding  lead,  and  anchored  there  about  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  Some  fishermen  came  down  to  the  wharf 
and  asked  where  she  was  from  and  of,  and  my  brother 
told  them  from  New  York.  "  Did  3'ou  come  round  the 
Cape  last  night?  "  they  queried  with  astonishment. 
On  his  affirmative  reply  they  informed  him  that  two 


THE   FERRY    FIGHT.  1 93 

wrecks  went  ashore  back  of  the  highland  and  one  on 
Peaked  Hill  Bar  that  night.  That  shows  what  a 
"thin  skin"  boat  can  do. 

At  the  March  meeting  at  the  town-house,  Cape 
Elizabeth,  I  invited  my  friend,  C.  W.  T.  Coding,  to 
ride  over  with  me  to  look  on.  Being  a  tax  payer  in 
that  town,  I  supposed  I  had  a  right  to  go  there,  not  to 
vote  but  to  look  on.  P'rom  the  time  we  arrived  until 
we  left  we  both  were  grossly  insulted.  I  began  to 
think  we  were  among  the  "Alafias"  of  New  Orleans. 
I  had  been  a  voter  in  Ward  Two,  Portland,  for  several 
3'ears  and  had  seen  some  rough  times  election  days; 
but  the  election  at  Cape  Elizabeth  that  year  was  far 
ahead  of  anything  I  ever  saw.  In  the  hands  of  Air. 
Nutter  was  a  document  from  our  company  to  be  read 
to  the  meeting.  It  was  not  allowed  to  be  read.  Had 
it  been  read  and  accepted  the  town  would  have  been  in 
pocket  to-day  $25,000,  or  the  war  debt  might  have  been 
reduced  that  much.  I  am  sorry  to  learn  that  the  war 
debt  still  stands  on  the  town  books. 

Later  on  our  company  received  notice  from  the 
selectmen  of  the  town  to  vacate  the  old  landing  in 
thirty  da3'S.  We  secured  a  temporary  landing  on  the 
east  side  of  Merchants'  Marine  Railway  Wharf.  I 
called  on  my  friends  to  lease  or  buv  a  landing;  but 
none  was  to  be  had.  Later  on  our  company  found  that 
Mr.  Ralph  Butler,  of  Boston,  owned  the  flats  at  the 
east  of  Railway  Wharf  and  we  leased  them  of  him  for 
a  term  of  years.  Our  company  called  on  the  harbor 
commissioners  to  lay  out  and  build  a  wharf  into  tide 
water.  To  run  our  wharf  straight  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  take  a  few  feet  on  ]\Ir.  \\'illiam  Spear's  prop- 
erty.    Mr.  Curtis  and  m3'self  called  on  Mr.  Spear  to 


194  CAPTAIN    BEN'vS    book. 

purchase  a  few  feet  of  the  flats ;  but  he  was  very  high 
in  his  figures  so  the  company  decided  to  put  a  bend  in 
the  wharf,  in  order  to  go  around  his  land  and  save  liti- 
gation. Then  the  wharf  was  extended  into  the  water, 
giving  seventy-five  feet  dockage  between  our  wharf 
and  Merchants'  Marine  Wharf.  The  wharf  and  ferry- 
house  were  built  and  the  mud  dredged  out.  We  had  a 
good,  safe  landing.  June  4th  of  that  year  the  double- 
end  ferry-boat  "Cornelia  H."  arrived  from  Bath  and 
soon  went  on  the  route.  She  was  a  large  and  safe 
boat,  but  too  good  for  the  route.  If  Uncle  Sam  had 
known  her  butting  qualities  he  would  have  given  a 
large  price  for  her  to  send  out  to  Hayti  instead  of  his 
gunboats,  as  she  could  have  butted  it  all  down  in  two 
hours.  This  ferry-boat  ran  about  eight  years.  Then 
it  changed  hands  and  the  new  company  built  and  put 
on  the  route  the  "Elizabeth  City,"  now  running. 

There  was  lots  of  fun  in  the  ferry  fight,  but  no 
dividends. 

I  am  glad  to  state  the  noted  ten-year  ferry  fight 
came  to  a  close  April  i,  1895,  by  the  Portland  and 
Cape  Elizabeth  Ferry  Company  selling  its  franchise 
and  ferry  property  to  the  People's  Ferr}^  Compan3^ 
During  the  fight  the  Portland  and  Cape  Elizabeth  and 
People's  Ferry  Companies  have  taken  out  of  their 
pockets  about  $130,000.  This  has  been  a  very  large 
elephant  —  much  larger  than  Jumbo.  Probably  in  the 
future  one  company  will  run  the  business. 

The  BrooMvSTick  Train.  I  understand  there  is 
a  companj^  formed  and  about  to  get  a  charter  to  run 
an  electric  railroad  through  Cape  Elizabeth  by  going 
over  Portland  Bridge,  through  Knightville,  South  Port- 
land, Willard,  and  then  over   the    shore   road  to  the 


THK    ISLAND    STEAMERS.  195 

Cape  Lights.  I  think  this  is  a  move  in  the  right 
direction.  In  two  or  three  ^^ears  it  will  bnild  up  the 
place  and  improve  all  property  more  than  all  the 
double-end  ferry-boats  have  ever  done  from  the  days  of 
the  "Elizabeth"  to  those  of  the  "Elizabeth  City."  If 
this  road  had  been  built  after  the  big  fire  in  Portland, 
in  1866,  the  Cape  to-day  would  have  a  ma3'or  as  well 
as  Deering.     I  wish  to  see  the  Cape  built  up. 

A  Five-Hundred-Dollar  Dinner. — One  day 
Mr.  C.  A.  Tilton  called  at  my  office  on  Commercial 
Street  to  get  subscribers  for  stock  in  the  plush  mill  at 
South  Portland.  Though  he  fought  us  hard  in  the 
ferry  fight  we  had  no  hard  feelings  towards  him,  but 
talked  and  laughed  over  the  matter.  Mr.  John  Curtis 
took  five  shares  and  I  five.  I  don't  consider  it  M^as  all 
lost,  as  I  got  more  out  of  it  than  some  of  m^^  friends, 
and  that  was  a  good  supper  at  the  mill,  which  only 
cost  $500  a  plate. 

The  Island  Steamers.  —  I  wish  to  say  a  few 
words  about  the  island  steamers,  a  subject  which  inter- 
ests all  Portlanders.  January  9,  1878,  I  bought  into 
the  Peaks  Island  Steamboat  Company  iift}'  shares. 
At  this  time  Mr.  F.  H.  Morse  was  President  and 
George  Trefethen,  Treasurer.  There  were  two  steam- 
ers on  the  line,  the  "Express"  and  the  "Gazelle." 
After  a  time  the  compau}^  became  the  Forest  City 
Steamboat  Company.  The  steamer  "Gazelle"  was 
lengthened  and  rebuilt,  and  her  name  changed  to 
the  "  Forest  City."  Some  time  later  Capt.  Howard 
Knowlton  built  the  little  steamer  "  Minnehaha,"  which 
afterwards  was  taken  into  the  conipau}'  and  Captain 
Knowlton   made  general   manager.     Then  the  Union 


196  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Steamboat  Company  was  started  as  an  opposition  line 
to  tlie  Forest  Cit}^  Company.  Their  first  boat  was  the 
"  Emita,"  and  their  second,  the  "  Cadet."  Some  time 
later  the  Union  line  changed  to  the  Star  Line  Steam- 
boat Company.  At  this  time  I  was  general  manager 
for  the  Forest  City  Company.  The  Star  line,  after 
running  two  or  three  years,  consolidated  with  the 
Forest  City  Company.  The  name  was  changed  to  the 
Casco  Bay  Steamboat  Company  and  Mr.  C.  W.  T. 
Coding  elected  general  manager. 

July,  1887,  the  company  put  on  a  new  steamer, 
called  the  "  Forest  Queen."  She  is  a  large,  safe  boat 
and  is  run  the  year  round.  The  steamers  "  Minne- 
haha" and  ''Express"  were  sold.  January,  1884,  the 
large  skating  rink  and  the  pavilioa  were  built  at  Peaks 
Island.  A  large  gasoline  plant  was  put  into  the  rink, 
and  later  it  was  lighted  by  electricity  and  furnished 
power  and  light  for  all  the  amusement  buildings  and 
wharves.  The  Casco  Bay  Steamboat  Company  has 
done  as  much  or  more  than  any  company  in  advertising 
Casco  Bay  as  a  summer  resort  by  running  amusements 
and  getting  up  novel  attractions  such  as  marine  carni- 
vals, marine  explosions,  balloon  ascensions,  and  walk- 
ing on  the  waves.  These  attractions  bring  thousands 
of  people  to  the  islands  and  make  it  interesting  for  the 
boarders  at  the  different  hotels ;  so  much  so  that  the 
demand  is  considerably  in  excess  of  the  accommodation. 

The  company  have  done  good  service  by  running 
boats  often  and  at  low  rates  and  have  built  up  the 
island  largely  in  the  last  few  years. 

In  the  summer  of  1894  the  steamer  "Jeanette" 
was  put  on  the  route  as  an  opposition  boat  and  run  for 
five  cents  fare  b}^  parties  interested  in  the  ferry  fight. 


^^ 


-•si 


.L^^^ 


CAPT.    B.   J.    WILLARD    TRAP   SHOOTING.  JUNE,   1895. 


198  CAPTAIN    ben's    book. 

Porpoises. — Upon  the  opposite  page  is  a  picture 
of  a  shoal  of  porpoises,  —  a  fine  sight  often  seen  in 
mild  weather  along  our  coast  from  Florida  to  New- 
foundland, and  near  the  northern  edge  of  the  Gulf 
Stream,  where  the  warm  water  at  a  temperature  of 
from  72  to  78  suddenly  changes  in  going  one  or  two 
miles  down  to  67  or  57  degrees.  Here  in  this  cool 
water  for  miles  the  water  appears  to  be  alive  with 
porpoises,  as  seen  in  the  picture.  The  meat  of  the 
porpoise  is  not  very  palatable,  though  the  liver  fried  in 
pork  fat  is  a  verj^  dainty  dish,  especially  after  living 
on  salt  beef  for  some  time.  So  the  capture  of  a  por- 
poise puts  a  broad  grin  on  an  old  sailor's  countenance, 
as  he  is  then  sure  of  a  dainty  morsel.  A  shoal  of 
porpoises  moves  in  a  military  order  excepting  when 
frightened.  The}^  swim  from  five  to  ten  miles  an  hour ; 
springing  out  of  the  water  in  a  crescent  shape,  their 
tails  seldom  leaving  the  water.  They  are  a  fine  sight 
from  a  vessel's  mast-head  as  the}^  skim  along  just 
under  water.  Old  sailors  call  them  puffing  pigs.  Their 
puffing  is  as  loud  as  a  man's  voice  and  is  verj^  inter- 
esting to  any  one  not  used  to  hearing  or  seeing  them, 
as  large  shoals  of  them  make  a  continual  puff,  puff,  as 
though  run  b}'  machiner}-. 


At  this  point,  in  my  sixty-seventh  j^ear,  I  bring 
these  recollections  of  a  busy  and  somewhat  adventur- 
ous life  to  a  close,  hoping  that  the  reader  may  find  as 
much  entertainment  in  taking  them  up  as  I  have  found 
in  setting  them  down ;  for  it  has  been  a  pleasure  to  me 
to  recall  the  happenings  —  some  of  them  stirring,  and 
none  without  interest  —  of  the  years  covered  by  this 
volume ;  and  I  am  persuaded  that  the  pleasure  will  be 


200  CAPTAIN  ben's  BOOK. 

shared  by  many  an  old  friend  and  neighbor  and  many 
an  acquaintance.  It  may  be,  too,  that  strangers  who 
live  far  from  the  sea  will  find  in  this  plain  story  of  life 
on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  of  adventure  on  an  element 
with  which  they  are  unfamiliar,  something  to  strike 
their  fancy  or  appeal  to  their  sympathies. 

So  in   conclusion   I   say   "  good-by,"  —  two   words 
which  mean,  scholars  tell  us,  "  God  be  with  you." 


ADDENDUM 


^pHE  family  of  Willard  of  Eastbourne,  Sussex,  Eng- 
land, surnamed  \'illard  and  originating  from  Caen, 
Normandy,  has  been  seated  in  Sussex  since  the  time 
of  Edward  III.  A  3'ounger  branch  settled  later  in  the 
southwesterly  part  of  Kent,  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
borders  of  Sussex,  and  held  an  estate  in  the  Hundred 
of  Branchley  and  Horsmonden.  There  lived  and  died 
(in  1617)  Richard  Willard,  father  of  Capt.  Simon 
Willard,  the  colonist,  who  came  over  from  Horsmonden 
to  Boston  in  1634  with  wife  and  children.  He  settled 
at  Cambridge,  ]\Iass.,  and  is  known  to  have  been  pos- 
sessed of  ample  means.  He  was  later  one  of  the 
founders  of  Concord  and  was  for  thirt3'-five  years  a 
member  of  the  General  Court  of  the  Colony.  He  made 
use  of  the  arms  gi\'en  on  the  cover,  which  is  copied 
from  the  American  Heraldic  Historical  Rooms. 

HoRvSMOXDKX. — In  the  southwesterly  part  of  Kent, 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  borders  of  Sussex,  in  the 
Hundred  of  Branchley  and  Horsmonden,  in  the  lath 
of  Aylesford,  lies  the  quiet  and  retired  parish  of  Hors- 
monden. It  is  forty  miles  southeast  from  London,  in 
a  rural,  agricultural  district,  situate  on  no  great 
thoroughfare  and  possessing  no  factitious  or  local 
advantages  for  progress  in  population  and  wealth.  As 
villages  of  this  class  alter  but  little  from  century  to 
century  in  our  mother-land,  a  description  of  the  present 
appearance  of  Horsmonden  will  probably  give  a  pretty 
correct  idea  of  its  aspect  at  the  beginning  of  the  seven- 


*«r-!fo 


'^ 


HORSMONDEN.  >  203 

teenth  century.  A  descendant  of  Simon  Willard  in 
the  seventh  generation  visited  the  ancestral  home  in 
the  summer  of  1850.  He  may  be  the  first  of  all  the 
descendants  after  the  second  generation  who  has 
enjoyed  this  privilege.  Indeed,  we  maj^  be  reasonably 
well  assured  of  the  fact  when  we  state  that  the  partic- 
ular parish  in  Kent,  the  birth-place  of  Simon  Willard, 
has  long  ago  passed  from  the  memor\-  of  his  American 
descendants  through  some  unaccountable  negligence, 
and  the  genealog}'  was  onl\^  retraced  as  lateU'  as  the 
year  1S45  after  industrious  and  persevering  inquir}-. 
From  the  interesting  sketch  of  Horsmonden,  which 
this  gentleman  has  given,  I  make  the  following  ex- 
tracts, copied  from  the  Willard  Memoir  bj-  Joseph 
Willard,  Esq.  : 

"The  church  is  two  miles  distant  from  the  village 
and  quite  on  one  side  of  the  parish.  It  is  a  venerable 
and  rather  neat  Gothic  edifice  of  stone.  Its  age  is  not 
knowu,  but  the  rector  supposes  from  the  stj-le  of  archi- 
tecture that  it  is  about  five  hundred  3'ears  old.  It  is 
with  certaint}^  the  church  in  which  young  Simon  Wil- 
lard was  baptized,  and  it  was  with  much  interest  that 
I  read  in  the  parchment  register  of  that  church,  in  old 
English  characters,  the  record  of  his  baptism.  Just 
at  the  entrance,  in  the  floor  of  the  principal  aisle,  is  a 
tablet  to  the  dead  bearing  the  date  of  1587;  and  over 
that  stone  Simon  was,  doubtless,  borne  to  his  baptisui. 

"  Near  the  church  is  a  most  magnificent  oak  tree, 
of  which  the  men  of  Horsmonden  are  justly  proud. 
The  trunk  is  thirt^•  feet  in  circumference  at  the  roots 
and  retains  a  circumference  of  nearly  twenty  feet 
almost  to  the  branches.  I  was  told  at  the  rectory  that 
it  is  known  to  be  at  least  tliree  hundred  3-ears  old,  and 
how  much  older  is  not  known.     Our  ancestor  in  his 


204  CAPTAIN    ben's    BOOK. 

boyhood  doubtless  looked  upon  it  often  and  probably 
sat  under  its  shade.  Simon  Willard,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  born  at  Horsmonden,  probably  in  the 
early  part  of  the  year  of  1605,  and  was  baptized  in  the 
church  at  that  place  April  5,  1605.  The  record  of  his 
baptismal  consecration,  as  recorded  in  the  parish  reg- 
ister and  on  a  preceding  page,  runs  thus  wise : 

"A.  D.  1605.  Anno  E.   R.  Jacubi. 

"The  vijth  day  of  April  Simon  Willard  come  of  Richard  Willard 
was  christened. 

"  Edward  Ai.chine,   Rector. 

"  Major  Simon  Willard  died  in  Charlestown,  Mass., 
April  24,  1676,  in  the  seventy-second  year  of  his  age. 
The  father,  Richard  Willard,  died  in  Februar}^,  1616. 
He  had  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  survived  him. 
His  third  wife  died  on  the  25th  of  February  of  the 
same  year." 


n 


